18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4)
Why did
Abraham “believe against hope” that
he would become the father of many nations? Answer: “as he had been told” by someone who could not lie.[1] Why
did Abraham not weaken in his faith when he considered how old he was, or that
his wife was both old and barren? First, because God gave him a promise;
second, because he knew “God was able to
do what he promised.”
Abraham did
not have blind-faith, because he had already witnessed God’s faithfulness in
tangible ways. God was God, so God’s word was settled no matter what things
looked like then, now, or ever.
God’s children
today do not have blind-faith. The Bible itself is full of incredible numbers
of testimonies of real-life encounters with God, fulfilled prophecies, and promises
for what is ahead. That is tangible. It is measurable by our material senses,
and yet impossible to explain by merely material events.
As Abraham waited
patiently for the fulfillment of God’s promises, he does two things for us even
now. First, he gives us an example of someone whose faith did not waver even though
his eyes saw what appeared to be an impossible situation. Second, his life
story, including all the development of the nation of Israel, their deliverance
out of Egypt, their taking of the Promised Land, and their presentation to the
world of the one and only Savior, are all tangible testimonies of God’s work in
our world that encourage us to live by faith, even during the times when things
once again seem to be impossible.
Faith has far
too many works of God to look at in space, time, and matter, to think that God
will fail at a promise just because we have not yet seen it happen. As surely
as God has proven himself in so many tangible ways throughout history, he can
be trusted with all that he has promised his children for their future.
Let us not be
as those who grumble and complain against the Lord God of the universe just because
our prideful little hearts can’t see anything happening in the here-and-now.[2]
Let us be those who wait in faith upon the LORD, and find God’s strength
empowering us to rise up as on the wings of eagles,[3]
living in such confident hope of the things that are to come, that people will
see this unexplainable hope within us and wonder why it is there.[4] If
you live by such hope and faith through any trial you are facing, you can be
sure that when someone asks you the reason for your hope, you will have plenty
to share.
From my heart,
Monte
© 2013 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good
News Publishers.)
[1]
“17 So
when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the
unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath,
18 so that by two
unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled
for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before
us.” (Hebrews 6)
[2]
“2 And the whole congregation of the people of
Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness,” (Exodus 16)
NOTE: type in the word “grumble” in www.biblegateway.com and see how many
times God confronts his people for their grumbling and complaining against him,
even after being witnesses to God’s awesome acts of deliverance and provision.
People who say “I will believe it if I see it” take warning: if the people who
witnessed God delivering them with ten plagues, leading them to safety through
the red sea, and serving up bread and quail even when they had such bad manners
in the asking, would still not trust him with the next impossible-looking
situation, we cannot think that our own stubbornly unbelieving hearts would
suddenly change their minds just because we saw a miracle. It didn’t work when Jesus
did his miracles in such vast numbers right before the eyes of prideful men,
and it won’t work now no matter how many things people see. God has done enough
in his word to bring his children to faith. As his word says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing
through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Read the word of Christ and ask
God for the faith that hangs on every word.
[3]
“27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the
LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”? 28 Have you not known? Have you
not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the
earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up
with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and
not faint.” (Isaiah 40)
[4]
“14 But
even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no
fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy,
always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for
the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience,
so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ
may be put to shame.” (I Peter 3)
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