Fully Persuaded Faith & Hope- Like Abraham

I’ve been reading through the New Testament book of Romans recently. Chapter 4 deals with Abraham’s faith and how his faith was credited to him as righteousness (Rom. 4: 9b). He came long before Jesus came with a new covenant to make a way for sinful man to have eternal life and relationship with God again. Restored relationship. Redeemed relationship- with the Father who loved us so greatly (Read how greatly in John 3:16 and consider what that would be like).

Abraham’s faith astounds me. Humbles me. Makes me want to aspire to it. God brought forth a miracle in the lives of Abraham and Sarah when they had no children and were very old- Abraham himself being about 100 years old (Rom. 4:20) and Sarah’s womb being dead. She was long past childbearing years. God then promised a son to them and that He would make a great nation from Abraham, and Abraham believed God.

In Rom. 4:18, it says “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be” (from Gen. 15:5).

Without weakening in faith, Abraham faced the reality of his body being extremely old, knowing it was impossible from a human standpoint. But Abraham knew His God is the God of the impossible becoming possible.

My hope was almost extinguished and fully gone a little over a year ago. So many difficult things had happened, and I was walking through a very intensely painful and difficult battle and had been for quite some time. I was weary and didn’t have many believers surrounding, supporting me in it, prayerfully walking with me in it. I felt alone.

Through every difficult circumstance that had occurred prior, with facing death and difficult diagnoses, I had always had solid hope. Hope against all odds because I knew who my God was and what He could do.

The present battle seemed too much, too hard, never ending, and barely anyone knew about it. I was at the point of losing hope that anything could change, losing hope that God would change things. And I’d never been there before. But God.

God was at that very moment leading me to fellow believers that would hold me, refresh me, support me, validate and walk alongside me, and lift me up in my weariness. It was refreshing. It was good. The Lord knew who I needed in my life at that very moment. The Lord graciously prepared the way before me. And I was so grateful. In the Old Testament, in 1 Kings 19, Elijah’s hope is fully gone to the point of desiring to be dead after he had fought an amazing spiritual battle for the Lord on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18). My hope wasn’t gone to that point. I had instead begun to lose hope that anything could change in the present battle because what was going on was too much… It was all stacked up against me. Just the way the enemy tries to make it be against us. And I was weary. And I needed believers to pray alongside and fight through it with me.

And God led me to the ones who needed to be present with me in that battle and I with them in their own life battles too.

How amazing God is to allow us to come alongside each other in the midst of our life battles, to lift each other up, and fight for hope and joy together- knowing our God has us.

And so- going back to Abraham in Romans 4, in verse 20 & 21, it says “Yet 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.”

Wow. Just wow. Abraham didn’t waver in unbelief. He didn’t give into doubt. He knew what God had promised was absolutely impossible.

But He believed in a God who was ALL-Powerful and had the absolute ability to make the miracle of life come forth out nothing.

Let’s remember for a moment that God brought forth life out of nothing at Creation. He spoke and life came forth. God hasn’t changed from that moment. He is outside time while we are finite and confined to a specific space of time on this side of life on earth. God is the same God yesterday, today, and forever.

Even when I was weary and exhausted and my hope was almost extinguished and I began to waver in my belief that anything truly could change, God was right there holding my hand leading me to “streams of water” (Psalms 23)- to the people whom I needed to be present with for the Lord to work through them— graciously to help restore me, revive me- For He to sit with me and help me have rest and be “the lifter up of my head” (from Psalms 3:3).

He truly is the One who protects and is with us and lifts up our head when we are needing to be filled, to be encouraged. The battle before me at that moment was too much for just me, but my God was big and He was faithful.

I couldn’t fight it fully on my own, and I knew I needed others lifting up my arms at that time like the story of Moses when he couldn’t hold his arms up on his own and Aaron and Hur came alongside and both lifted up his arms and God gave the victory in battle (Exodus 17: 8-14).

You see, I’m not supposed to fight my battle on my own. And neither are you friend. We need other trustworthy people alongside us, praying together and supporting each other in the battles in our life, lifting each other’s arms up spiritually speaking.

Prayers truly do work. I have seen the power of prayer and God working mightily through it so many times in my life. God is faithful and good. And He is for you, and He is for me.

If you don’t have others in your life to share in the struggles with, start searching for a group of trustworthy, faith-filled people. Ask God for guidance and for Him to lead you to the right people you need for that moment in your life.

It’s highly likely, that it won’t just be for you, but that you will be a blessing to others as well through it. How awesome is that? If you can’t find an in-person group, there are also virtual groups that are possible to be a part of too. Don’t go through life’s battles on your own.

The enemy is strong and doesn’t want you to succeed or to follow God.

Choose today to take one step you know you need to— toward community, toward fellowship, toward increased faith and belief and hope in God.

What God promises He fulfills. He can be trusted. I know this truth from my own life. Do you know, the very battle that was extremely difficult over a year ago- God was at work- And now- The answer to prayer that I didn’t think would happen occurred. It took a long time, but I believed God and God did a miracle recently- One that astounds me and makes me so grateful for His goodness and the way that He works. He would still be the good and faithful God He is, even if the miracle hadn’t occurred, but I am so grateful for His mighty working He accomplished.

God did a miracle in the life of Abraham and Sarah- bringing forth the life of Isaac- into their home and into their arms. Abraham was fully persuaded that God had power to do what He promised, what He told Abraham He would do.

Lord, give me that kind of faith- the kind that is fully persuaded, not partially persuaded, or slightly hoping… but All in- knowing who my God us and that He will bring forth the promises in my life. If He said it, He will do it. Increase my faith Lord!

I hope you were encouraged friends by my words! God loves you and cares about all that is going on in your life right now. He sees you. He is for you.

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