One of the mistakes that Abraham made in the Bible was by far his most serious. It took place about twelve years after God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations and that Sarah would bare him a son. It took place when Abraham and Sarah grew tired of waiting for that promise to be fulfilled.
“And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai…” (Gen. 16:2).
Abraham and Sarah simply became impatient and decided they would help God out.
Most of the time that’s the reason Christians miss God. It’s not because they don’t hear His voice. It’s because they don’t wait for His timing. Impatience always produces actions that are motivated by unbelief. Impatience says, “I can’t wait any longer. I’m going to make something happen in my own strength.” That’s pure unbelief!
The Bible clearly states that we “inherit the promises through faith and patience” (Heb. 6:12). Impatience will rob God of His opportunity to bring His perfect answer to your problem every time.
Abraham’s mistake was one of the detours that delayed his faith and kept him from arriving at the place of being “fully persuaded” where the promise and blessing of God were waiting.
But, praise God, you and I don’t have to take detours. We have the written Word. We have the examples of men like Abraham to learn from, and we have the Holy Spirit leading us into all truth. We have everything we need to move right into the realm of being fully persuaded.
And once you enter that realm, there’s no power in hell or on earth that can keep you from receiving God’s promises. There’s nothing that can keep you from turning defeat into victory – nothing that can keep you from going from one degree of glory to another.
Once you enter the realm of being fully persuaded, every promise in the Word of God is within your reach.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Mac and Lynne Hammond are senior pastors of Living Word in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, which they started in 1980. Many outreaches and ministries have launched from Living Word since that time, including Maranatha Christian Academy, a Pre-K through grade 12 school with nearly 900 in attendance, and Living Free Recovery Services, a licensed outpatient treatment program.
Most recently, Mac and Lynne have launched a vision to plant fifty churches across the globe in the next five years. As of August 2024, nine churches have been planted in the Dominican Republic, Ireland, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, and Guatemala with construction underway for seven more churches in El Salvador, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Prior to becoming a pastor, Mac was a pilot. He served in the Air Force, served two tours of duty in Southeast Asia, and was honorably discharged in 1970 with the rank of Captain. Between 1970 and 1980, Mac was involved in varying capacities in the general aviation industry, including ownership of a successful air cargo business serving the Midwestern United States. A business acquisition brought the Hammonds to Minneapolis, where they ultimately founded Living Word. Currently, Mac is the host of The Winner’s Way and The Winner’s Minute broadcasts and the author of several internationally distributed books. Mac is broadly acclaimed for his ability to apply the principles of the Bible to practical situations and the challenges of daily living.