Abraham received a promise that he would become the father of many nations in Genesis 17:5. He received the beginning of his promise as in the birth of Isaac in Genesis 21:5. So in 8 chapters he receives Isaac right. That was a 25 year span of time. Not to mention when Abraham received the promise he was already 75 years old. I mean the odds were already stacked against him. This seemed like a dead promise. A “dead promise” refers to a promise that is no longer considered valid or likely to be fulfilled, often because of circumstances that have changed significantly, making it impossible or highly impractical to keep, essentially meaning the promise is “dead” and cannot be acted upon. Yet what does the Bible say about Abraham’s faith?
Romans 4:18-21 KJV 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Abraham believed God and that He would fulfill His promise, not considering the “deadness” of the situation.
In 2 Kings we find the story of the Shunammite woman and Elisha. She is given a promise by Elisha that she would have a son. The boy grew and one day got sick and died. The mother doesn’t call her family together, she doesn’t even tell her husband, but goes straight to the man of God. Why? Because he was the one that gave her the promise in the first place. She knew if he gave the promise, he could return it. This he did. He prayed to God and God restored the boy’s life.
In the book of Ezekiel we find the story of the dry bones.
Ezekiel 37:1-10 KJV 1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. 4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. 9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
Why did I just show you these 3 stories in the Bible? To point out if God has given you a promise, it does not matter how long it has been since the promise has been given. It does not matter how impossible the situation looks. It does not matter if you don’t see any life in the situation. It does not matter if you can see any way of it working out. None of these affect God’s ability to perform what He has said that He would. So if God has given you a promise, hold onto it with everything you’ve got and believe that He is faithful and well able that made the promise. Hold onto faith even if it looks like a graveyard.
Hebrews 10:23 ISV Let us continue to hold firmly to the hope that we confess without wavering, for the one who made the promise is faithful.
2 Corinthians 1:20 KJV For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.