Day 6 - Hope Enables Obedience

Child of Hope: An Advent Devotional

Friday, December 5, 2008

Hope Enables Obedience


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.”
Romans 4:18

Have you ever believed anything against all hope? Perhaps your team was down by a large margin and, realistically, there was little hope of a comeback. Despite the odds, you still hoped that something would happen. You were “hoping against all hope.”

Abraham, on a human level, must have thought it unlikely that he would father a nation, or inherit a land that God would give him. Yet, he hoped. And that hope was far more significant than a sports fan’s wishful thinking. Abraham knew that, humanly speaking, he didn’t have a hope. He was too old, and too far from the land of promise. There were too many obstacles along the way. Nevertheless, Abraham chose to hope, because He knew the One in whom to place His trust.

In Romans 4:18, Paul quotes Genesis 15:5 – “so shall your offspring be.” This is no accident. Earlier in the same chapter, Paul uses Genesis 15:6 to explain what it means to be justified by faith. The point is clear. The promise in which Abraham hoped would be fulfilled, not by human agency, but by the hand of God.

It really is all about God. Abraham learned to trust in the God who made promises to him. Despite the circumstances of his life, Abraham believed. Can you do the same? It may be that you are trusting God for something that, deep down, is simply impossible. But all things are possible with God. If your request is in line with His good and perfect will, and if the timing agrees with His providential purposes, then you may hope against hope, and it shall be done.

Prayer for the Day
Father God,
thank You for the promises of Your Word,
which cannot fail.
Help us to trust them for our own lives,
and help us to trust You with our lives.
In the name of Jesus.
Amen.