The Book of Romans ~ Lesson Nine

"Trusting in His Perfect Vision"


Romans 4:18-25 (NLT) Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” 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.
   Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.

Abraham and Sara wanted a baby of their own for so many years. It wasn't until Abraham was 100 and Sarah was around 90 that God gave them a son who they named Isaac. Not only did they receive their promised Son from God, they received the beginning of God's Promise to make Abraham's descendants into a nation. We read today, "Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises." He believed God.

What are you hoping for? What is it that you want God to do for you? 

Abraham believed what God had promised Him. He didn't demand anything from God but waited for what God had told him He would do for him and Sara. Abraham believed the promise of God. He believed God. Who knew God would act when Abraham and Sara were considered "as good as dead"?

Psalm 105:7-9 (NIV) He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.

God remembers His promises to His people. He is always faithful. Sometimes, He answers things differently than we think He should. We want our way and not His ways. I'm sure Sarah would have wanted to be pregnant in her 20's or 30's and not her 90's. She would have had so much more energy. I'm sure Abraham wanted to be well into retirement and not raising a baby. God had something so much different in mind and we can see that His plan was the right plan.

Galatians 3:6-9 (NLT) In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.
   What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.

God's promise to Abraham wasn't just a son. God promised to bless all the nations through Abraham. That blessing came through Jesus who was a son of Abraham. Because of Jesus, we all are blessed. We, who believe in Jesus, receive Abraham's blessing and are children of Abraham. We are all included in the Promise, that is eternal life through belief in Jesus the Messiah.

This is our true Hope ~ Jesus. With Him we face everyday life. We must trust in His plans and purposes for our lives. He wants the best for us even when we think that He has forgotten us and even when we are faced with the hardest issues of life.

God has the power to do what He has promised. He will not go back on His word. The question is this, "Do you trust Him?" Even when you have waited and waited, will you trust Him? Even when His answers are not what you expected, can you trust Him? We can trust God because He sees the whole picture. We only see part.

1 Corinthians 13:11-12 (NLT) When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

Our vision on this earth is cloudy. We see things imperfectly. God's vision is clear and perfect. What we know compared to God couldn't fill a thimble. Faith is getting past the limitations that we experience on this earth and trusting in our perfect Savior. He sees our "forever" even when we don't know what our next step should be. Let's trust Him together. Who knows, we may experience a miracle like Abraham and Sarah? Whatever the case, we can trust the One who knows us best and loves us most.