Search This Blog

Sunday, December 25, 2011

12-24-11 "Promises; God's Pathway to Perspective" Romans 4:16-25


The passage I read was Romans 4:16-25
You can find that passage here:

The verse that most stood out to me:
20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 

As I reflect:
Abraham was nearly 100 years old and considered unable to have children at this age.  His wife also had a womb of many years since unable to produce children due to age.  Yet when Abraham heard this promise from God, he didn’t for a second consider his body’s inability to complete the task, nor his wife’s inability to bear child.  He instead rejoiced abundantly showing great trust in what the Lord said to him. 
I, like Abraham and like many believers out there do not consider my circumstances something that God can’t work through, around, or change all together to achieve His promises in me.   We do not consider that we are able to achieve what God has promised because that would be relying on ourselves to perform the miracles.  Instead, we consider simply that despite our own selves, God is fully capable of fulfilling what is promised. 
Because we too are “of the faith of Abraham”, we too are offered the credit of righteousness for believing in not only the Gospel, but all the promises that come with His message to us. 
I think it’s important to note that although God’s promises are available to us and we can certainly put full trust and belief in them, we must also note (as in Genesis) that we have a responsibility in each of those promises.  For Abraham it was that he had to be circumcised, all in his house had to be circumcised, and all his descendants were to be circumcised as well as anyone bought and brought into his home.  For us, we have been given the freedom to be circumcised or not physically as is your choice for only the benefits of health.  We instead have since been taught that our circumcision is to be one of the spirit.  We are to be circumcised from the world.  This is part of our covenant with God today.  We are offered a promise of salvation, but that promise comes with the condition of worldly circumcision.  In other words, repentance and change as evidenced by the Holy Spirit’s convicting work in your life;  this is your circumcision from the world.  It is what separates you from a wicked generation and is a proof of the promise of salvation being fulfilled in you. 
Let us today and every day walk, think, speak, and act in such a way as to reflect our faith and full trust in God’s promises and work in us.  May it be counted a credit of righteousness as it was for our father Abraham.

My response to the Lord:
Father God, I trust in you.  Not only by my words, but by my actions I trust in you.  Help me daily Lord to fulfill my responsibilities in faithful response to what you have offered and given to me.  I know you will complete the promises begun in me.  I trust in you and though my own understanding would say,” I am not able to be used for good”, I do not lean on that understanding.  I lean instead to you and believe every word you have given.  I trust in you regardless of my circumstances, my past, my failures.  Be glorified in your work in Lord.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

No comments:

Post a Comment