“Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness…he 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” Romans 4:3,20,21.
“Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness…he 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” Romans 4:3,20,21.
You know the story of Abraham and Sarah. When he was 75 the Lord promised him offspring as the sands of the sea – the start of a new nation. Pretty heady stuff, even though his wife was 65 – time to retire! The reproductive clock was ticking – in effect it was at 11 p.m. But nothing was happening – how was God’s promise to be fulfilled?
They made a couple of attempts to help God out – first by proposing that their steward Eliezer be the heir – God said no; and then by having a child by Sarah’s servant Hagar, which was a disaster. So what to do but just trust in God! 25 years after God’s promise, when Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 – their bouncing baby boy Isaac was born and God made good on his promise.
Isn’t there a lesson for all of us from this elderly couple! So many things in life are out of our control. Friends and family in our own circle are trying to sell houses, buy houses, deal with illness, prepare for surgery, deal with relationships – and so on. Many prayers go up and sometimes we have no choice but to trust the Lord – to have faith in his goodness and love for us. A hard place, but maybe a place where our encounters with him run deep.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight” Proverbs 3:5,6.
On Monday I release the latest podcast with Mark and Angela Hutchinson. They have walked through Parkinsons disease together and learned to trust the Lord through it. Have a listen by going to the church website, clicking ‘resources’ – then ‘podcasts.’ Angela points out her favorite song through this whole thing, which is linked below, and hope you will have a listen.
Pastor Leon Throness
