Having faith even when it seemed impossible
When God established a covenant with Abraham, two things were involved. The first one is the promised land and second is the promised son. The writer of Hebrews recounted first how Abraham submitted to God’s will when he was called upon to leave Ur to go to a place where he has no idea where. Now, him and Sarah had to trust God despite their old age when conceiving a child was next to impossible. “‘When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’… I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.’” “…And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?” (Genesis 17:1-2, 17). Abraham placed his faith to God even when it seemed that having a son in his age and Sarah’s was impossible. Paul in his letter to the Romans mentioned about this strong faith of Abraham that moved him to continue to have hope in God. “Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations… And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb” (Romans 4:18-19). Faith is not about ignoring the facts. Abraham was aware of the impossibility but kept on looking up to God. “What is impossible for people is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). Abraham believed that God is the rewarder of faith. He knew that God will not just give him a son but “a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them” (Hebrews 11:12). When we are called upon to have faith in God, we must assess rationally. We must be aware of God’s Word and His promise as to the fulfillment of what we are longing for. God will not violate His Word especially when we weigh human impossibility with God’s ability to fulfill His promise. If we do not see contradiction between God’s Word and His promise, then we must believe.
Blessings,
