God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac Part 4: Warring for the promise

Because you have obeyed My voice, in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 22:18).

Many seem to think that if God says something either prophetically,  or a promise, it's going to happen no matter what. Well over a quarter of a century earlier God had promised Abraham that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:3).  Now, all those years later,  the above verse indicates that this might never  have happened had Abraham not obeyed His voice.  It was God speaking of course. And what are we to make of this? Is the God who spoke and stars were flung into space,  is this God unable to do what He says He will do?

These questions are tied up with the question of why we need to pray. If God's will was automatic, why would He tell us to pray  “Will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9, 10).  Is it possible that the will of God is not done because we neither pray as we aught, nor are obedient?  Though clearly there are limitations, the principle seems to be “Without God man cannot, without man God will not.”  And clearly there are limitations, because otherwise He would not have create the World (Genesis 1:1).

So what exactly is the point? Well, it seems that there are many things in the will of God,  that will not happen unless there is intense cooperation with Him with we who are created in His image (Genesis 1:27).  This both gives us great significance, and lays on us great responsibility for bringing the Kingdom to earth.  In particular it teaches us that those who believe that Jesus died for us of us  “should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (1 Corinthians 5:15).

So how does this relate to obedience and contending for our  promises?  Before I say more I need to remind us that this is not about earning our salvation, it's not about being put right with God. As with Abraham we believe God and He reckons it to us for righteousness (Genesis 15:6).  No, it's not about salvation,  it's about bringing the Kingdom to earth as it is in heaven.  

What I am saying, is that we need to war for our promises and our prophetic words.  Jesus teaches us in the parable of the unjust judge that we aught always to pray and not give up (Luke 18:1–8). At the end of this parable He asks “when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” So faith and persistence and not giving up are needed, but so is obedience. In fact Jesus links faith and obedience together as necessary for doing even greater works than He did (John 14:12, 15).

Father, forgive us for just leaving so many of Your promises out there, thinking You'll either fulfill them or not. Thank You for the amazing example of Abraham in his faith,  persistence and obedience. You never ask anything of us Lord that You have not already done and more so. You never intended  that Abraham follow through in sacrificing his son, but You did not spare Your own Son but freely offered Him up for us all (Romans 8:32). In the face of such love Lord, help us  to press into Your promises and never, never never give up, in Jesus Name Amen