Genesis 15:2, 3 And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus. And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, one born in my house mine heir.
Once again the Word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. The Lord told him, ”I am your shield and reward.” This Word from God was meant to strengthen his faith in God’s Covenant Promise and encourage him while he waits.
However, Abram’s response was doubt and unbelief, questioning God’s faithfulness and promise-keeping, ”How long, O Lord?” Abram was ready to take matters into his own hands and do in a worldly way what God wasn’t doing. ”You haven’t given me any kids, so I will have to make my servant my heir.” He was finding a fleshly, worldly solution to fulfill God’s promise by his own reason. In essence, he was blaming God and accusing the Lord of unfaithfulness.
Abraham believed God. That’s not in doubt. But impatience was causing him to doubt, for doubt is ever lurking underneath our faith. The Holy Spirit grants us pure faith through the Gospel, but our sinful, self-willed, human flesh remains alongside our God-given faith. Unbelief still wars against belief, impatience against patience, self-will against God’s will. If fulfillment, answers, comfort, and a good life still seems a long way off, doubt and unbelief rears its ugly head, Then the peace and joy of God’s life is diminished. Even Abraham, the paragon of faith, had his moments. But God is faithful to His Promise.