Romans 4:20 - 21

“No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” (Romans 4:20-21 ESV). The section that these verses are found in begins at verse 13. It is about the promise God made to Abraham and how his faith related to it. To a man nearly 100 years old, God promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations. Our two verses describe how Abraham responded to that promise.

Abraham apparently knew God well enough to believe what he said to be true because without wavering he embraced the promise by faith and as he continued to walk with God, giving him glory, his faith continued to grow. Abraham was fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Years later, God tested his conviction by commanding Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the child of promise. This command would seem to prevent God from keeping his promise, but Abraham, in obedience with unwavering faith, went to sacrifice Isaac, leaving God with the responsibility of keeping his promise. It is God’s responsibility to keep his promise and man’s responsibility to obey his commands.

Prayer

Father, as I think about Abraham’s walk of faith I think about my walk of faith and how my faith grew as a result of my China adventures. Finding oneself in situations where trusting God appeared to be the only option, provides one with real opportunities to grow in faith. Father, I still rejoice over your provision during those times and I see how your provision then affects my life today. Without stepping out and taking some risks in our walk with you we have little opportunity to experience the results of faith at work.