Genesis 12:1-3 says, Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Abraham (Abram at this point in the timeline) was a man like any other, who lived in the land of Ur of the Chaldeans when first hear of him in Genesis 12. Like the rest of his people, Abraham and his fathers worshipped false idols (Joshua 24:2). And by no reason or explanation given in the Bible, God chose him and told him to leave his father’s house, his country, and his family. Abraham was probably motivated by the promises he received from God: having a great name, being made a great nation, and all the families of the earth being blessed through him.

Important as this revelation was to Abraham, it’s also a revelation to us of God’s blessings and how they work. If you’re like me, when I get a prophetic word or promise from God, I expect it ‘NOW.’ And why not? If God gave it, surely He can make it happen right ‘NOW.’ But if you look closely at the promises Abraham received, all of them except for one was not fulfilled in his lifetime. Why? Simply because that’s how God works. We need to understand that it’s never about us. God’s promises are to fit His purposes, not ours. We think God’s blessings are for us, but we’re just a vehicle God uses to greater things because He sees the bigger picture.

Abraham was not the only person in the Bible who went through the process. As a matter of fact, we see this as a trend according to Hebrews 11:39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise. What? Yes, that’s right. The Hall of Famers of faith found in Hebrews 11 all received promises of God, having then obtained a good testimony, but never received, nor saw their promises realized in their lifetimes.

We have to let go of the false notion that God wants to bless me because He loves me and I’m special. These are certainly true, but from experience, God gives TO YOU, to give THROUGH YOU. God blesses you to be a blessing. As far as God’s blessings are concerned, biblically speaking, God has a plan, and it will most likely outlive you. He can do it without you but chooses to use you. God is so good that even in the process, you get a kickback!

So, don’t fret if you’ve received a prophetic word or promise, and it hasn’t come to pass. You may have received a promise, but most likely future generations will experience the fullness of that blessing. If that’s the case, then conversely, you may be walking in a blessing today that was given generations before you came on the scene. You’re walking today is ancestral promises.