Remember all those descendants God promised Abraham? He told him they would outnumber the stars in the heavens and Abraham made a good start in producing descendants during his lifetime.

Eight sons were born to the three wives of Abraham named in the Bible. Hagar’s one son, Ishmael, gave Abraham twelve grandsons and they all became tribal rulers. Sarah had one son, Isaac, who became the father of twin boys.

His last wife, Keturah, gave Abraham six sons who had sons of their own.

That’s a big family! But the count was a little low on Isaac’s side of the ledger.

175 Years Later . . .

When Abraham died at age 175, God’s promise of many descendants through Isaac had only gotten as far as two fifteen-year-old boys. They were born after twenty frustrating years of infertility, and only following Isaac’s fervent prayers for his wife Rebekah.

Wouldn’t you think that after God told Abraham he would have many, many descendants everyone could have sat back and relaxed? God could send as many children as he wanted to Abraham and Isaac, and Abraham certainly had an abundance of descendants through his other family members.

So why did Sarah and Rebekah have to wait decades to have the children God promised them?

Meanwhile, Behind the Scenes

God was looking for something from these people that could only come about during the long time they watched and waited for him to act.

Behind the scenes God was being glorified by the faith of these couples. With very little tangible proof, they went on believing that God would do exactly what he said he would do. For years and years Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah stayed in God’s waiting room, their faith focused on God’s promises despite disappointment.

No One Gets Through Life Without Disappointments

Were they always patient while they waited? Probably not. They probably cycled through sorrow, pain, and frustration many, many times as their hopes were dashed year after year. They may have gone through periods of doubt about God and wished they could just walk away, but they couldn’t. They believed there was only one God and their lives were in his hands. They went on looking to him.

No one gets through life without disappointment; everyone has to learn how to cope with pain and frustration. What made Abraham and Isaac hold on to God through their long wait?

They clung to the promises. They held on to what God had said.

Believe in God and Trust His Word

On January 1 we read, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” and I pointed out that from its very first words the Bible challenges us to believe in God and trust his Word.

That’s what Abraham did; he believed in God and trusted his words and God considered him righteous. Abraham was God’s man because he was a man who believed God.

God may not give us what we expect in life, but he will always give what is best and he will do what leads to his own glory. If you are facing hard times or disappointment, you are in the company of some of God’s best people. Don’t give up, put your faith in the promises of God and in his character. He will carry you through and get glory from your life in the process.