Psalm 105:9-12
Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant: Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance: When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.

The promise from God to the nation of Israel was sure even though it would take hundreds of years to fulfill.  They were hardly a nation when God gave the covenant to Abraham and reiterated it to Isaac and Jacob.  He affirmed His promise to each of them, but it wasn’t fulfilled in any of their lifetimes.  It seemed so unlikely at the time, but over the years, we can see the fulfillment of exactly what God promised and how He enabled it all to come to pass through Joseph and Moses and Joshua and beyond.  All along, God’s hand is visible as He orchestrates it all.

Everything starts off small, but it can grow into something much more than we could have ever thought it could be.  The nation of Israel started with one man and one son and became so much more than that.  They started off as strangers and became conquerors, and it wasn’t because they grew and got stronger on their own.  It was because God was blessing them and enabling them.  He was allowing them to grow, to move forward, and to win battles.  He intervened all along the way to allow these things to come to pass.

In our own lives, it works the same way.  Sometimes God will give us a promise that starts out as a little seed planted within our heart.  And as we keep moving forward, God is at work, and we just have to wait on Him.  We have to trust that His plans stretch far beyond us.  Our part is to be faithful where we are at whatever point in time we come into the story that is unfolding.  And even if we only catch a glimpse of a little bud starting to break through, we can know that somewhere after us, something will bloom.

Life is a journey.  Following God is a journey of faith taken one step at a time.  We know many wonderful things await us in our future, but even now, we can see God at work.  Sometimes we’re at the beginning, receiving a promise and dreaming of the possibilities to come.  Sometimes we’re in the middle and are witnesses of the progress that’s been made.  And sometimes we’re at the end and see that final step taken into the promised land, and we marvel that God enabled it all to come to pass in His time.  So let’s be faithful wherever we are in God’s timeline, because we know we can trust Him every step of the way, and every promise will be fulfilled.