“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.”
Romans 4:19 (ESV)
Against all odds, in the midst of no earthly hope, Abraham had a heavenly hope. His faith did not weaken as he considered his own body, which was as good as dead at 100 years old, or the barrenness of Sarah. Abraham put his hope in the God who gives life to the dead and brings into existence things that don’t exist.
Faith is not denial, but recognition of God’s trustworthiness and His power to complete what He promises us. We must submit our unbelief to God and allow Him to instruct us on His plans. It is when we let unbelief grow and fester and consume us through worry and anxiousness that we struggle to trust in God, to do as He says, and to wait patiently for His will.
We see this in Genesis 17, verses 17 through 19. Abraham does not deny or ignore his circumstances. He laughed to himself in disbelief, asking how he could become a father at 100, or how Sarah could have a child at 90. Abraham doesn’t hold his concerns in; he confesses them to God. Then God clarifies how His promise is going to be fulfilled to him, and Abraham goes and does what God instructed him to do. Because faith moves forward.
We can do the same today. If we daily come and meet with God, confess our worries and concerns and anxieties and disbelief, then they don’t have to make us waver, falter, or stagger. God responds with His Word, helping keep us on His path and allowing us to move forward in steps of faith. Today I pray that if anything in our circumstances is threatening to weaken our faith, we’ll speak it out in the open to God, read His Word, and hear what He has to say about the situation. Then we can move forward in faith like Abraham.