MESSAGES
Against All Hope, Believe in Hope (Romans 4:18-19)
One of the greatest examples of faith and perseverance in the Bible is given to us by Abraham, who teaches us to fully trust in the God of the impossible.
Romans 4:
18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.
» Hoping Against Hope
Here we have a great example for our lives, reported by the apostle Paul to the church in Rome. Abraham and his wife, Sarah, faced a humanly irreversible situation. Sarah was barren and about 90 years old, while Abraham was nearly 100. The expression Paul uses is powerful: “hoping against hope.”
In the natural realm, there was no longer any possibility for them to have a child. Yet Abraham held on to the promise. He believed that for God to carry out His will, the situation does not need to be naturally possible.
» For God Nothing Is Impossible
This is a deep teaching for our journey: in this world, we must never give up. We cannot step back because, as Abraham’s testimony shows us, for God nothing is impossible.
There are no circumstances so adverse that the Lord cannot act or move on behalf of our lives.
We, as Christians, must always remember that we walk with the One who performs wonders and does not need favorable conditions to make happen what we need.
» The Unfailing Promise
Remember God’s encounter with Abraham. He had a stable life, yet carried the pain of having no heirs. The Lord promised that he would be the father of a multitude, as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore.
And God fulfilled it! He made the womb of a 90-year-old woman bring forth life and renewed the strength of a hundred-year-old man who no longer had vigor.
This proves to us an absolute truth: God’s Word is unfailing. When our God speaks, His will inevitably comes to pass.
» A Call to Unshakable Faith
God promised to be with you every day, and He will.
God promised to wipe every tear from your eyes, and He will.
God promised comfort and provision, and He will provide.
Matthew 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.
Matthew 6:
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Our God promises and fulfills! Therefore, keep walking and moving forward in faith.
Even if the obstacles before you seem insurmountable and there is no natural hope left, place your trust in Him.
Believe, even if it is “against hope,” because everything the Lord has promised for your life, He will surely do!
