Faith – consider Abraham

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord.

Primary Text

“To another [wonder-working] faith by the same [Holy] Spirit, …” 1 Corinthians 12v9 (AMP)

One person we see in Scripture who demonstrated great faith is Abraham – and we can draw several lessons from him. Abraham believed God. God gave him a promise, gave him a word that He would be the father of many nations, and he believed. Beloved, has God made you a promise, hold on to Him and to His Word. In Abraham’s life, we find that though God’s Word is not broken, the promise might not reach fulfillment today, or tomorrow. It may take years. But if you hold onto God, eventually your Isaac, your laughter would come to pass. We know that along the way, Abraham did have Ishmael after his wife asked him to sleep with her maid so they could have a child by her. But eventually the child of promise, Isaac, came. Beloved, ye have need of patience. “For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.” (Hebrews 10v36, AMP). Don’t allow any compromise as you hold onto the word that God has promised you. Hebrews 6v12 (KJV) says “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Abraham was fully persuaded that what God said He would do, He would, and he therefore did not waver through doubt and unbelief, but was strong in faith giving glory to God. We should do the same. Again, the circumstances around him were very much not in his favor. I mean how can a man and woman so old have children. But he didn’t look at the circumstances. He believed God! We need to learn to say God said it, I believe it, that settles it. I won’t look at my past, my present, I won’t be moved by what I can see or not see, what people are saying, but only by the word of God. I will fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6v12).

Supplementary Text

“Therefore, [inheriting] the promise is the outcome of faith and depends [entirely] on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace (unmerited favor), to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all his descendants – not only to the devotees and adherents of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is [thus] the father of us all. As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed. [For Abraham human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So numberless] shall your descendants be. He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s [deadened] womb. No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised. That is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God). But [the words], it was credited to him, were written not for his sake alone, But [they were written] for our sakes too. [Righteousness, standing acceptable to God] will be granted and credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to, and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, Who was betrayed and put to death because of our misdeeds and was raised to secure our justification (our acquittal), [making our account balance and absolving us from all guilt before God].” Romans 4v16-25 (AMP)

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for the faith we have in You. Father I believe in You, I give You glory for all that You have promised me, and I am fully persuaded that You will bring to pass all that You have promised. I will be patient and wait on You, in Jesus name, amen.