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Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of
many nations, just as it had been said to him...
- Romans 4:18 NIV
God has used this verse countless times to encourage me when I've been
faced with hopeless situations and was tempted to lose heart. I find
Abraham's example of faith so profoundly inspiring, and it never ceases to
give me hope. The phrase, "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed,"
speaks of the kind of faith that defies hopelessness. Abraham was keenly
aware of his doubtful situation. In fact, the next verse confirms this:
"Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as
good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb
was also dead." (Romans 4:19) Abraham was not in denial. He clearly was
facing the facts of his situation, yet Scripture says that he did this
"without weakening in his faith." No wonder God honored this man the way
He did. How many of us in Abraham's situation would have held on to the
promise of God? Some believers think that you have to be in a kind of
state of denial in order to receive the miraculous in hopeless situations,
but I don't think that's true. Real faith says, "I know my situation looks
hopeless, but I also know that I belong to a God who has a history of
moving mountains for His children, and I'm keeping my eyes on Him!" You
don't have to know HOW God's going to keep His promise to you, all you have
to know is that He will do it!
Romans 4:20 says, "Yet [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief
regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave
glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had
promised." The Message Bible puts it this way: "Abraham didn't tiptoe
around God's promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged
into the promise and came up strong, ready for God." One thing is
certain--a lack of faith will make us waver. It will cause us to doubt
God's ability and willingness to do the impossible on our behalf. It's
God's desire that we be "fully persuaded" that He is able to work wonders
in our lives, even when our circumstances are screaming defeat at us.
Notice that this verse reveals that Abraham "gave glory to God" while he
was waiting for God to fulfill His promise to him. Abraham didn't wait
until the manifestation of his miracle to give thanks and praise to the
Lord--that doesn't take much faith. But he began thanking God in advance,
strengthening his own faith in the process. The Living Bible brings this
out best when it says: "He praised God for this blessing even before it
happened." Scripture goes on to say that it's "those who are of the faith
of Abraham" who receive the promises of God. (Romans 4:16) If we want to
receive the kind of blessings that Abraham did, we need to demonstrate the
kind of faith that he did. That means we will have to push logic and
reasoning aside and focus on God and His promises. If you're a child of
God and you'll follow Abraham's example, rest assured that what God did for
this great man of faith, He'll do for you, too!
Prayer: Lord, teach me to have the faith of Abraham. When I encounter "hopeless"
situations, help me to keep my eyes on You, instead of on my circumstances.
Remind me not to wait for the manifestation of my miracle before I give
You thanks and praise. Thank You that as I follow Abraham's example, I
will impact the lives of others and glorify You!
- J. M. Farro
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