| Dawn Wilson Ministries Psalms 68:11 The Lord gives the command; The women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host |
| The Power of the Promise Author Dawn Wilson www.dawnwilsonministries.org God has made promises to each of us. Theses promises are our very life line. We are promised through the Word of God: healing, prosperity, provision, salvation of our households. We also possess personal promises which were given to us by vision or were spoken to us by the voice of the Lord into our hearts. Genesis 12: 5-7 And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. 6 And Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. 7 And the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. |
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Genesis 12:10 Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to
sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.
God made a promise to give the land to Abram and his descendants. After God made this
promise a severe famine came into the land. After we receive a promise from God
difficulties often arise, these difficulties come through the hand of the enemy. He comes to
try and steal the hope of the promise from us. We must not give up our hope, our faith, or
our belief in the promise of God.
Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should
change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil?”
Habakkuk 2:3 "For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal,
and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.
Abram instead of standing in the promise he was given from God ran to Egypt.
Genesis 12:20-13:1 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted
him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him. 13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt to
the Negev, he and his wife and all that belonged to him; and Lot with him.
Abram had ran to Egypt when difficulties arose and stool his hope of the promise. These
difficulties made it appear that the promise of God was too difficult to receive and possess.
Pharaoh had his army take Abram and his family exactly back to the spot they had ran from
- the Negev. The severe famine was still in the land. The difficulties they fled from hadn’t
disappeared.
Abram was taken back to the Negev from where he had fled. Abram was taken back to this
exact place so that he could learn to stand and believe God for his promise despite all
difficulties, despite all that made the promise look too difficult to possess in the natural
realm.
Genesis 15:1-5 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision,
saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great." 2 And
Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what wilt Thou give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my
house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "Since Thou hast given no offspring to
me, one born in my house is my heir." 4 Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him,
saying, "This man will not be your heir; but one who shall come forth from your own
body, he shall be your heir." 5 And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the
heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall
your descendants be."
God made Abram two promises - 1) he would have a child born from his own body 2) his
descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the heaven.
Genesis 16:1-4 Now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no children, and she had an
Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, the LORD
has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain
children through her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 And after Abram had
lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her
maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. 4 And he went in to Hagar, and she
conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her
sight.
Sarai made a decision to fulfill the promise of God by her own hand and in her own wisdom
and understanding. She executed this plan by giving Hagar her maid to Abram as his wife
to bear children for her.
Ishmael was born through this union of Abram and Hagar. Genesis 16: 11-12 tell us that
he was a wild donkey of a man, that his hand would be against everyone and everyone’s
hand would be against him.
When we devise a plan to fulfill the promise of God by our own hand and in our own
wisdom and understanding we too bring forth Ishmaels. Just as Ishmael wars continually
against Israel the Ishmaels brought forth by our doing war against us.
Do not try and fulfill the promise of God through your own hand or in your own wisdom and
understanding. Wait upon the Lord to fulfill all that He promised He would do.
Genesis 17: 1-8 Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to
Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. 2 "And I
will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you
exceedingly." 3 And Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, 4 "As for
Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you shall be the father of a multitude of
nations. 5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham;
For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 "And I will make you
exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come forth from
you. 7 "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after
you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your
descendants after you. 8 "And I will give to you and to your descendants after you,
the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession;
and I will be their God."
Genesis 17:15-21 Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call
her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 "And I will bless her, and indeed I will
give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of
peoples shall come from her." 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in
his heart, "Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is
ninety years old, bear a child?" 18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live
before Thee!" 19 But God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you
shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting
covenant for his descendants after him. 20 "And as for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I
will bless him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become
the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 "But My covenant I will
establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year."
Ishmael was not the child that God had promised to Abram. The child of God’s promise
would come through Sarai.
Genesis 18: 10-14 And he said, "I will surely return to you at this time next year; and
behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door,
which was behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was
past childbearing. 12 And Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have become old, shall I
have pleasure, my lord being old also?" 13 And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did
Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?' 14 "Is anything too
difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next
year, and Sarah shall have a son."
God will accomplish what He has promised to you. Nothing is too difficult for him! Sarah
was past child bearing age, in the physical realm the promise of God looked impossible.
Our promises can look the same way, impossible in the physical realm. Just as Isaac being
born through Sarah was not too difficult for God to accomplish, your promise is not too
difficult for God to accomplish. Your promise is not to difficult for God to accomplish even if
it looks dead in the natural realm.
Genesis 21:1-3 Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for
Sarah as He had promised. 2 So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old
age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the
name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.
God did as He had promised Abraham and Sarah. Isaac was born from Abraham’s body.
Sarah brought forth a son. God will do as He has promised you. God will fulfill His promise
to you.
It was by the promise of God that Abraham was able to take Isaac to be offered as a
sacrifice to God. Abraham knew that God had promised that His covenant would be
established with Isaac and with Isaac’s descendants. For Isaac to have descendants he
would have to live, marry, and bear children. Abraham trusted the promise of God when he
took Isaac up the mountain as a sacrifice.
What a difference we see in Abraham as he goes through this difficulty. He does not run as
he did when he ran from the severe famine in the land. We see Abraham stand and believe
God to fulfill His promise.
I personally believe that Abraham never doubted but believed God would provide a lamb in
place of Isaac for this sacrifice. Genesis 22: 5 … we will worship and return to you.
Genesis 22: 8 God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering. Abraham stood in
belief of the promise of God for the life of his son Isaac.
Let’s look at the life of Joseph and the promise of God to him.
Genesis 37: 5-7 Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated
him even more. 6 And he said to them, "Please listen to this dream which I have had;
7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood
erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf."
Genesis 37: 9-10 Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said,
"Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars
were bowing down to me." 10 And he related it to his father and to his brothers; and his
father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your
mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?"
Through these dreams Joseph received the promise of God.
Genesis 37:20 "Now then, come and let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and
we will say, 'A wild beast devoured him.' Then let us see what will become of his
dreams!"
The promise of God had been given to Joseph through dreams. His brothers schemed
together and made a plan to try and nullify the promise of God to Joseph.
There are those who will come against us and try to nullify the promise of God in our lives.
Just as the promise of God was fulfilled to Joseph, no matter what man tries, no matter what
satan tries, the promise of God will be fulfilled in our lives!!! It will not be nullified just as it
was not nullified by Joseph’s brothers!!! The promise of God was fulfilled in Joseph’s life
despite his brothers attempt to nullify it.
Joseph believed God’s promise that Israel would possess the land of Canaan even though
they now dwelled in the land of Egypt. The circumstances of where they dwelled now did
not change his belief about the promise of God. He gave these instructions at his death.
Genesis 50: 24-25 And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die, but God will surely
take care of you, and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to
Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob." 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying,
"God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here."
Let’s look at see if Israel as a people believed that God will fulfill His promise to them as
Joseph did. We will look at the belief of Caleb and Joshua. I want you to see that these
two believed the promise of God but they had to endure the 40 years in the wilderness
because of the unbelief of the people before they possessed their promise.
Numbers 13: 1-2 Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, 2. “Send out for yourself men so
that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you
shall send a man from each of their fathers; tribes every one a leader among them.”
God promised to Israel that He was going to give this land to them. They were to believe
that God would accomplish what He promised. We know that Joseph believed this promise
as he told them to take his bones up with them into this land.
Numbers 13: 25-29 When they returned from spying out the land, at the end of forty days,
26. they proceeded to come to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of
Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; and they brought back word to them and to all
the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. 27. Thus they told him, and said,
“We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey,
and this is its fruit. 28. Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the
cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there.
29. Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the
Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the
side of the Jordan.” 30. Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “We
should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it.”
Caleb believed the promise of God. God knew when He promised them this land that that
the descendants of Anak (giants) were in the land, and that the people were strong and the
cities fortified. These facts were not unknown to God as He sent them in to spy out the
land and when He promised this land to them. God knows the difficulties before us as He
makes the promise. We are to know that He will fulfill and accomplish all His promises to us.
Numbers 13: 31- 33 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up
against the people, for they are too strong for us.” 32. So they gave out to the sons of Israel
a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have
gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we
saw in it are mean of great size. 33. There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are
part of the Nephilim); and we become like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in
their sight.”
The spies who spied out the land made the wrong choice. They chose to believe their eyes
and thoughts, to look at the difficulties and not believe the promise of God. They said they
were not able to go up against this people, for they are too strong for us. We are to not look
at the circumstances surrounding the promise of God. We are to look at the God who
promised and know that He will fulfill His promise.
The congregation of Israel had a choice to make. Would they choose to heed the words of
the ten spies who looked with their natural eyes and said this promise can not be fulfilled or
would they look with the eyes of belief and faith in a God who would fulfill every promise
that He has spoken.
Numbers 14: 1-4 Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people
wept that night. 2. And all the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the
whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would
that we had died in this wilderness! 3. And why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall
by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for
us to return to Egypt?” 4. So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return
to Egypt.”
They chose to heed the voice of the spies and not heed the promise of God. The
congregation of Israel went even farther then the spies had done in their disbielf. They
accused God of bringing them to this land to kill them by the sword and letting their wives
and children become plunder. They refused to believe that God was a good God and that
He was faithful to them to keep His promise.
Numbers 14: 6-9 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those
who had spied out the land tore their clothes; 7. and they spoke to all the congregation of
the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly
good land. 8. If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it
to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. 9. Only do not rebel against the Lord; and
do not fear the people of the land, for they shall be our prey. Their protection has been
removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”
Joshua and Caleb called to the people to not rebel against God and to have no fear of the
people of this land. Joshua and Caleb understood that the protection had been removed
from the people of this land. They understood and believed that the Lord was with Israel
and that He would give them this land just as He had promised.
Numbers 14: 10 But all the congregation said to stone them with stones.
When we choose to believe the promise of God despite what our eyes see there will be
those who rise up against us. It brings conviction into others lives when we stand and
stand firm. Do not let their threats turn you from your stand and your belief in God and His
promises.
Numbers 14: 24 But my servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has
followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendents shall take
possession of it.
Caleb was promised by God that he would be brought into this promised land. Joshua
would lead the sons of this rebellious people into the promised land. They both believed
the promise of God and wanted to take it that very day but they each had to endure a 40
year wilderness trip with the sons of Israel. This generation who did not believe God did
not see the promise, they each died in the wilderness. Only two of that generation went in
and took possession of the land that God had promised. They did so be belief.
Do not give up your belief in God’s promises to you. He who has promised is faithful to
complete it. He has promised and He will fulfill. It will not fail. Do not let others sway you
away from believing the promise of God. Stand firm in the promises that God has spoken to
you.
Let’s now look at the attitude we are to have as we wait on the promise of the Lord. Caleb
and Joshua surely could have had a sour disposition as they waited those 40 years in the
desert with the children of Israel. They could have played the blame game “You kept me
from getting my promise!” Joseph could have played the blame game with his brothers
“You tried to keep me from getting my promise from God!”
Isaiah 40: 31 Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up
with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.
The Greek word for wait is an active word and means “to wait with expectation”. We are to
wait on the promise of God with expectation of receiving the promise. Abraham, Caleb,
Joshua, and Joseph had waited with expectation of the promise of God being fulfilled to
them. They did not stand around and play the blame game. No, instead they but their
hope, their expectation in the Lord. What attitude are we to have—our attitude is to be one
of waiting with expectation of the promise being fulfilled.
Isaiah 49: 23 ….And you will know that I am the LORD; Those who hopefully wait for Me will
not be put to shame.
As we hopefully wait on the promise of the Lord we will not be put to shame. We may look
ridiculous to the world as they watch us stand and believe for what looks impossible but
God’s word says that we who hopefully wait on Him will not be put to shame.
Isaiah 64:4 For from of old they have not heard nor perceived by ear, Neither has the eye
seen a God besides Thee, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.
God will move on your behalf as you wait with expectation upon Him.
Micah 7:7 But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my
salvation. My God will hear me.
We are to have this attitude in us, we are to wait for the God of our salvation. He will fulfill
everyone of His promises to us.
sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.
God made a promise to give the land to Abram and his descendants. After God made this
promise a severe famine came into the land. After we receive a promise from God
difficulties often arise, these difficulties come through the hand of the enemy. He comes to
try and steal the hope of the promise from us. We must not give up our hope, our faith, or
our belief in the promise of God.
Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should
change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil?”
Habakkuk 2:3 "For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal,
and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.
Abram instead of standing in the promise he was given from God ran to Egypt.
Genesis 12:20-13:1 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted
him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him. 13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt to
the Negev, he and his wife and all that belonged to him; and Lot with him.
Abram had ran to Egypt when difficulties arose and stool his hope of the promise. These
difficulties made it appear that the promise of God was too difficult to receive and possess.
Pharaoh had his army take Abram and his family exactly back to the spot they had ran from
- the Negev. The severe famine was still in the land. The difficulties they fled from hadn’t
disappeared.
Abram was taken back to the Negev from where he had fled. Abram was taken back to this
exact place so that he could learn to stand and believe God for his promise despite all
difficulties, despite all that made the promise look too difficult to possess in the natural
realm.
Genesis 15:1-5 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision,
saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great." 2 And
Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what wilt Thou give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my
house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "Since Thou hast given no offspring to
me, one born in my house is my heir." 4 Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him,
saying, "This man will not be your heir; but one who shall come forth from your own
body, he shall be your heir." 5 And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the
heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall
your descendants be."
God made Abram two promises - 1) he would have a child born from his own body 2) his
descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the heaven.
Genesis 16:1-4 Now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no children, and she had an
Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, the LORD
has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain
children through her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 And after Abram had
lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her
maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. 4 And he went in to Hagar, and she
conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her
sight.
Sarai made a decision to fulfill the promise of God by her own hand and in her own wisdom
and understanding. She executed this plan by giving Hagar her maid to Abram as his wife
to bear children for her.
Ishmael was born through this union of Abram and Hagar. Genesis 16: 11-12 tell us that
he was a wild donkey of a man, that his hand would be against everyone and everyone’s
hand would be against him.
When we devise a plan to fulfill the promise of God by our own hand and in our own
wisdom and understanding we too bring forth Ishmaels. Just as Ishmael wars continually
against Israel the Ishmaels brought forth by our doing war against us.
Do not try and fulfill the promise of God through your own hand or in your own wisdom and
understanding. Wait upon the Lord to fulfill all that He promised He would do.
Genesis 17: 1-8 Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to
Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. 2 "And I
will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you
exceedingly." 3 And Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, 4 "As for
Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you shall be the father of a multitude of
nations. 5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham;
For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 "And I will make you
exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come forth from
you. 7 "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after
you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your
descendants after you. 8 "And I will give to you and to your descendants after you,
the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession;
and I will be their God."
Genesis 17:15-21 Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call
her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 "And I will bless her, and indeed I will
give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of
peoples shall come from her." 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in
his heart, "Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is
ninety years old, bear a child?" 18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live
before Thee!" 19 But God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you
shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting
covenant for his descendants after him. 20 "And as for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I
will bless him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become
the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 "But My covenant I will
establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year."
Ishmael was not the child that God had promised to Abram. The child of God’s promise
would come through Sarai.
Genesis 18: 10-14 And he said, "I will surely return to you at this time next year; and
behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door,
which was behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was
past childbearing. 12 And Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have become old, shall I
have pleasure, my lord being old also?" 13 And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did
Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?' 14 "Is anything too
difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next
year, and Sarah shall have a son."
God will accomplish what He has promised to you. Nothing is too difficult for him! Sarah
was past child bearing age, in the physical realm the promise of God looked impossible.
Our promises can look the same way, impossible in the physical realm. Just as Isaac being
born through Sarah was not too difficult for God to accomplish, your promise is not too
difficult for God to accomplish. Your promise is not to difficult for God to accomplish even if
it looks dead in the natural realm.
Genesis 21:1-3 Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for
Sarah as He had promised. 2 So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old
age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the
name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.
God did as He had promised Abraham and Sarah. Isaac was born from Abraham’s body.
Sarah brought forth a son. God will do as He has promised you. God will fulfill His promise
to you.
It was by the promise of God that Abraham was able to take Isaac to be offered as a
sacrifice to God. Abraham knew that God had promised that His covenant would be
established with Isaac and with Isaac’s descendants. For Isaac to have descendants he
would have to live, marry, and bear children. Abraham trusted the promise of God when he
took Isaac up the mountain as a sacrifice.
What a difference we see in Abraham as he goes through this difficulty. He does not run as
he did when he ran from the severe famine in the land. We see Abraham stand and believe
God to fulfill His promise.
I personally believe that Abraham never doubted but believed God would provide a lamb in
place of Isaac for this sacrifice. Genesis 22: 5 … we will worship and return to you.
Genesis 22: 8 God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering. Abraham stood in
belief of the promise of God for the life of his son Isaac.
Let’s look at the life of Joseph and the promise of God to him.
Genesis 37: 5-7 Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated
him even more. 6 And he said to them, "Please listen to this dream which I have had;
7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood
erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf."
Genesis 37: 9-10 Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said,
"Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars
were bowing down to me." 10 And he related it to his father and to his brothers; and his
father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your
mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?"
Through these dreams Joseph received the promise of God.
Genesis 37:20 "Now then, come and let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and
we will say, 'A wild beast devoured him.' Then let us see what will become of his
dreams!"
The promise of God had been given to Joseph through dreams. His brothers schemed
together and made a plan to try and nullify the promise of God to Joseph.
There are those who will come against us and try to nullify the promise of God in our lives.
Just as the promise of God was fulfilled to Joseph, no matter what man tries, no matter what
satan tries, the promise of God will be fulfilled in our lives!!! It will not be nullified just as it
was not nullified by Joseph’s brothers!!! The promise of God was fulfilled in Joseph’s life
despite his brothers attempt to nullify it.
Joseph believed God’s promise that Israel would possess the land of Canaan even though
they now dwelled in the land of Egypt. The circumstances of where they dwelled now did
not change his belief about the promise of God. He gave these instructions at his death.
Genesis 50: 24-25 And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die, but God will surely
take care of you, and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to
Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob." 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying,
"God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here."
Let’s look at see if Israel as a people believed that God will fulfill His promise to them as
Joseph did. We will look at the belief of Caleb and Joshua. I want you to see that these
two believed the promise of God but they had to endure the 40 years in the wilderness
because of the unbelief of the people before they possessed their promise.
Numbers 13: 1-2 Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, 2. “Send out for yourself men so
that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you
shall send a man from each of their fathers; tribes every one a leader among them.”
God promised to Israel that He was going to give this land to them. They were to believe
that God would accomplish what He promised. We know that Joseph believed this promise
as he told them to take his bones up with them into this land.
Numbers 13: 25-29 When they returned from spying out the land, at the end of forty days,
26. they proceeded to come to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of
Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; and they brought back word to them and to all
the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. 27. Thus they told him, and said,
“We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey,
and this is its fruit. 28. Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the
cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there.
29. Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the
Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the
side of the Jordan.” 30. Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “We
should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it.”
Caleb believed the promise of God. God knew when He promised them this land that that
the descendants of Anak (giants) were in the land, and that the people were strong and the
cities fortified. These facts were not unknown to God as He sent them in to spy out the
land and when He promised this land to them. God knows the difficulties before us as He
makes the promise. We are to know that He will fulfill and accomplish all His promises to us.
Numbers 13: 31- 33 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up
against the people, for they are too strong for us.” 32. So they gave out to the sons of Israel
a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have
gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we
saw in it are mean of great size. 33. There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are
part of the Nephilim); and we become like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in
their sight.”
The spies who spied out the land made the wrong choice. They chose to believe their eyes
and thoughts, to look at the difficulties and not believe the promise of God. They said they
were not able to go up against this people, for they are too strong for us. We are to not look
at the circumstances surrounding the promise of God. We are to look at the God who
promised and know that He will fulfill His promise.
The congregation of Israel had a choice to make. Would they choose to heed the words of
the ten spies who looked with their natural eyes and said this promise can not be fulfilled or
would they look with the eyes of belief and faith in a God who would fulfill every promise
that He has spoken.
Numbers 14: 1-4 Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people
wept that night. 2. And all the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the
whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would
that we had died in this wilderness! 3. And why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall
by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for
us to return to Egypt?” 4. So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return
to Egypt.”
They chose to heed the voice of the spies and not heed the promise of God. The
congregation of Israel went even farther then the spies had done in their disbielf. They
accused God of bringing them to this land to kill them by the sword and letting their wives
and children become plunder. They refused to believe that God was a good God and that
He was faithful to them to keep His promise.
Numbers 14: 6-9 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those
who had spied out the land tore their clothes; 7. and they spoke to all the congregation of
the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly
good land. 8. If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it
to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. 9. Only do not rebel against the Lord; and
do not fear the people of the land, for they shall be our prey. Their protection has been
removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”
Joshua and Caleb called to the people to not rebel against God and to have no fear of the
people of this land. Joshua and Caleb understood that the protection had been removed
from the people of this land. They understood and believed that the Lord was with Israel
and that He would give them this land just as He had promised.
Numbers 14: 10 But all the congregation said to stone them with stones.
When we choose to believe the promise of God despite what our eyes see there will be
those who rise up against us. It brings conviction into others lives when we stand and
stand firm. Do not let their threats turn you from your stand and your belief in God and His
promises.
Numbers 14: 24 But my servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has
followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendents shall take
possession of it.
Caleb was promised by God that he would be brought into this promised land. Joshua
would lead the sons of this rebellious people into the promised land. They both believed
the promise of God and wanted to take it that very day but they each had to endure a 40
year wilderness trip with the sons of Israel. This generation who did not believe God did
not see the promise, they each died in the wilderness. Only two of that generation went in
and took possession of the land that God had promised. They did so be belief.
Do not give up your belief in God’s promises to you. He who has promised is faithful to
complete it. He has promised and He will fulfill. It will not fail. Do not let others sway you
away from believing the promise of God. Stand firm in the promises that God has spoken to
you.
Let’s now look at the attitude we are to have as we wait on the promise of the Lord. Caleb
and Joshua surely could have had a sour disposition as they waited those 40 years in the
desert with the children of Israel. They could have played the blame game “You kept me
from getting my promise!” Joseph could have played the blame game with his brothers
“You tried to keep me from getting my promise from God!”
Isaiah 40: 31 Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up
with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.
The Greek word for wait is an active word and means “to wait with expectation”. We are to
wait on the promise of God with expectation of receiving the promise. Abraham, Caleb,
Joshua, and Joseph had waited with expectation of the promise of God being fulfilled to
them. They did not stand around and play the blame game. No, instead they but their
hope, their expectation in the Lord. What attitude are we to have—our attitude is to be one
of waiting with expectation of the promise being fulfilled.
Isaiah 49: 23 ….And you will know that I am the LORD; Those who hopefully wait for Me will
not be put to shame.
As we hopefully wait on the promise of the Lord we will not be put to shame. We may look
ridiculous to the world as they watch us stand and believe for what looks impossible but
God’s word says that we who hopefully wait on Him will not be put to shame.
Isaiah 64:4 For from of old they have not heard nor perceived by ear, Neither has the eye
seen a God besides Thee, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.
God will move on your behalf as you wait with expectation upon Him.
Micah 7:7 But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my
salvation. My God will hear me.
We are to have this attitude in us, we are to wait for the God of our salvation. He will fulfill
everyone of His promises to us.
Author: Dawn Wilson
Please Be Advised that all sermons and writing by Dawn Wilson of Dawn
Wilson Ministry is protected under the U.S. Government Copy Right Laws.
Please Be Advised that all sermons and writing by Dawn Wilson of Dawn
Wilson Ministry is protected under the U.S. Government Copy Right Laws.
Click here to watch a Streaming Faith Video which features
1) an interview with Pastor Dawn Wilson about her book "Women, Get in
the of God on the Women N Power Gospel Television Show
2) a 9 minute segment in which she ministers the message Six Tactics
the Enemy Uses to Steal Your Victory
1) an interview with Pastor Dawn Wilson about her book "Women, Get in
the of God on the Women N Power Gospel Television Show
2) a 9 minute segment in which she ministers the message Six Tactics
the Enemy Uses to Steal Your Victory