As you read the Bible today, do you squeeze all of its rich history and happenings into a vague “long, long ago”? It’s easy to forget how decades and lifetimes passed between Bible chapters and books. 

In Genesis 12:1-3, God promised Abraham that all families of the earth would be blessed in him. After Abraham demonstrated great obedience in Genesis 22, God reaffirmed this promise in words later quoted by Paul: “In your seed all nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 22:18; Gal 3:16). 

From God’s confirmation of His covenant with Abraham in Genesis, to the Israelites receiving the law in Exodus—just 2 months’ worth of chapters if you read daily—spanned 430 years. That’s like 2025 to 2455!

What will the world be like in 2455? Flying cars? Robots enslaving humans? Even the sharpest futurists can’t forecast so far ahead. By 2455, who would care about a promise made in 2025? Most of us don’t even know our great-grandparents’ names (I’m guilty).

But 430 years later, God still cared about His promise to Abraham.

Civil servants would know the immense difficulty of considering all important perspectives—past, present, and future—in penning a policy paper. God penned not just 1 paper, but the whole body of laws given through Moses. And yet He still remembered and honoured His promise: “the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect.” (Gal 3:17)

Through famine, slavery, and mass migration over the 430 years, God’s promise endured. Even the law took this promise into account, prophesying about Christ (Deut 18:18). And centuries after, Jesus Christ came to this world and shed His blood for us, giving us salvation and fulfilling this promise.

Praise God! We worship a faithful God who honours His word through time. God has so many promises for you today: to grant you the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:14), to give you peace (Jn 14:27), to transform your heart (Heb 8:10) … and more.

Through Abraham’s genuine faith, he was counted righteous. And through faith, we are sons of God (Gal 3:6, 26). 

If 3 months, 4 years, or even 43 years have passed and you’re still waiting for God’s promise to be fulfilled in your life, remember: even after 430 years, He still kept His word. 

Keep the faith. Trust that God’s promises still stand.