Archive for the ‘Faith’ Category

HE IS OUR HOPE

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

Day 49

“For Abraham, when hope was gone, hoped in faith”
Romans 4:18

Probably one of the most extraordinary promises of God was made to Abraham; He promised him that he would become “the father of many nations.” The beginning of the fulfillment was another promise, a promise in spite of his hundred years of age and his wife being far past child-bearing years. Because Abraham believed God’s word, the promise of a child was fulfilled.

The fulfillment of becoming the father of nations begins with the fulfillment of having a son. When the son becomes a young boy, God calls Abraham to sacrifice him. Abraham believed in God and his promises and he was so fully persuaded and convinced, he did not let go of it. He took his son to sacrifice him and held the knife in his hand, raised it up to complete the act when God stayed his hand at the last moment, revealing His provision. For this faith and obedience, he was counted righteous.

We have many, many promises of God for our life during our earthly journey. And, we have many more promises for our eternal life. Do you know these promises? These are God’s covenantal word. The promises are our hope and by faith give us expectations of fulfillment. When life’s storms batter us, we have his word and in the age of grace and mercy he has given us the Holy Spirit as a seal of redemption.

We will see his glory.

“Christ in you, the hope of glory”
Colossians 1:27

DIVINE DELAYS

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Day 24

“Yet when He heard that Lazurus was sick,
He stayed where He was two more days”
John 11:6

“Lazurus is dead” (vs 4).

We live by time; minutes, hours, days, months and years. Our prayers concerning crises, important issues, and matters that we perceive will happen soon, are usually made looking for an answer right away. Our sense of need is framed in time, but God does not seem to always answer in the time we think He should. Often an answer does not seem to be forthcoming at all.

Consider some of the biblical situations where God delayed answering. Abraham received the promise of a son, but it was over 20 years before it was fulfilled. Elijah was sent to a brook to wait and was there several years. David was anointed by the Lord to be king, but ended up fleeing to save his life, living in the wilds as a fugitive; and it was 15 years or more before he became king. Job suffered severely in the loss of his children, servants, cattle and then was personally afflicted. His wife urged him to give up, but he endured a long period of suffering. Peter was told by Jesus to wait by Sea at Tiberias, and when He did not show, he went fishing.

Have you experienced this? Have you cried, “how long O Lord,” or, “I am worn out calling for help” [Psalms 13:1, 69:3]? And like Martha, have you said, “If You had been here . . .”

Yet, even when it seems to us that God has not heard or answered, He has an appointed time for everything. Delays remove any illusions of our self-sufficiency. They dissuade man’s attempts to make an answer, and permit all to see His glory.

“Did I not tell you that if you believed,
you would see the glory of the Lord? ”
John 11:40