A FAITH LESSON FROM FATHER ABRAHAM
Romans 4:19-21
19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
Abraham is called the father of all who believe. His faith set the early standard because he believed the promises of God.
Abraham’s story is found in the book of Genesis. He was given a promise from God that he and his wife Sarah would have a son. The challenge to this promise lay in the fact that Sarah had never been able to have children, and now she was 90 years old. When Abraham received this promise from God, he was about 100 years old. And no one beats Father Time except for Father God.
Our three verses for today give us great lessons on faith and what faith looks like. Abraham was not weak in faith, so he did not consider his own body, which was too old. Nor did Abraham consider Sarah’s age and track record of never being able to have children. Abraham was not in denial about his and Sarah’s physical situation. But that was not the subject of his focus. Abraham kept looking at what God had promised.
Abraham did not waver at the promise of God. The word waver means to separate. So Abraham did not allow himself to become separated from what God had said through unbelief. Instead, Abraham’s faith was strengthened as he gave glory to God. Giving glory to God would involve giving praise and honor to God. So, we can determine that Abraham’s faith got stronger as he praised God before he ever saw Sarah pregnant.
And Abraham was fully convinced that what God had promised He could do. Even though he and Sarah were old, Abraham was convinced that God could accomplish what He had promised despite their age. In reading the book of Genesis, we can see that Abraham had a strong belief in the greatness of God. Abraham referred to God as the Lord God Most High, the Possessor of the heavens and the earth. I do not believe Abraham was throwing religious phrases around. He believed that God was above everything, and he had seen God do amazing things. So, Abraham was fully convinced that the child thing was going to happen. He may not have arrived at this level of faith overnight, but he certainly got there. And so did a baby boy named Issac.
APPLICATION
The Abraham kind of faith focuses on God’s promise more than the situation standing in the way. Our faith gets stronger as we praise God before we see the promise realized. And faith is being fully convinced that God is big enough to make what He promised come to pass.
Abraham is in heaven now, but his example of faith is still living today.
PRAYER
Thank You, Father, that I can follow in the steps of Abraham, the father of faith.