Day 60

Do you feel like your hope is gone today?

“When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn't do but on what God said he would do. And so he was made father of a multitude of peoples. God himself said to him, “You’re going to have a big family, Abraham!” Romans 4:18 The Message.

God had promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations not because he was obedient to the law but because he had a right relationship with God which came by faith. Abraham believed God without doubting. Aren't you amazed that Abraham’s faith never wavered even though he and Sarah were almost 100 years old. I, on the other hand, believing God has promised me in His Word certain things in my life have found my faith wavering so often. I’ve often asked myself why my faith is not always as strong as Abraham’s was and found myself praying, “Lord, help my unbelief.”

Many times it is so hard to see beyond our pain and struggles when we are living in the middle of life’s circumstances. It would be so easy to stay in bed with our heads covered up wouldn't it? There have been many days in my life that I felt like doing just that, but I knew I would be giving into the wiles of the devil so I fought against it. We can’t rejoice in our circumstances many times but we can rejoice in our Lord who lives within us giving us strength and hope. Romans 5:3 says, “Moreover—let us also be full of joy now! Let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing the pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance”. In verse 5 it reads, “Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.”

We have such a wonderful heavenly Father whose love has been poured out in our hearts and lives within us. He loves us too much to allow us to stay in the status quo. He wants to grow us, purify us, correct us when needed but His promise is that we will come forth as pure gold if we endure to the end.

Remember His promise to work all things together for our good. His discipline or testing comes out of His perfect love for us. We must learn to trust His purposes even though we might not understand them. Will you choose to believe God's promises to you today?