Genesis 18:9-15
You probably have received an email stating that Bill Gates is giving money to people who will forward the message you received to ten other people. Nearly everyone in the USA has also received mail from National Publishers Clearing House promising a winning chance at millions of dollars.
Whenever a promise is made two things must be considered. Does the person or company have the resources to back up the promise and is the person or company trustworthy.
In the movie “It Could Happen to You,” a cop stops at a diner to eat. After he finishes his meal he realizes he doesn’t have enough money to tip the waitress. The cop explains this to the waitress and then makes an interesting promise. He has purchased a lottery ticket, and if it is a winning ticket he will give her half of the prize money as her tip. Like Sarah in our scripture reading, the waitress laughs at the likelihood of this taking place. First, he probably won’t win. Second, if he wins he won’t remember his promise to her. The twist in the movie comes when he does win the lottery and returns to the diner to give the waitress a two million dollar tip. The amusing part of the story is when the cop tries to explain this to his wife.
It has been reported that God made 5,467 promises that are recorded in the Bible. How do we know God will keep His promises? Every promise God has made, that relates to the past, has been kept. He has the resources and He is trustworthy.
By Dr. Gayle Woods