It’s Friday…Hope Against Hope

Twenty-five years ago today my “little one” was born. She was born during a very uncertain season of our lives. It was a day-by-day, and at times moment-by-moment walk of faith. When she arrived, we decided to mark the season by giving her the middle name “Hope.” Her birth, the gift of her life reminded us then, and still today, of this truth: Faith in God is substance, our hope made real, the future promises made perfect.

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed.”  (Romans 4:18)

Hope Against Hope. That’s how Paul described the faith of Abraham, and by that faith, Abraham received God’s promises. But he didn’t see it with total clarity. Abraham had been promised a multitude of descendants, even while he was childless. As each year passed, the promise seemed more unlikely. Abraham questioned it at times, and he even tried to work it out in his own way (see Genesis 16). But God had not promised Abraham descendants based upon Abraham’s own efforts. God promised according to His plan and His work. There’s a huge difference.

That’s the way it is with God’s promises in our lives too. We are given many in His Word: eternal life, an inheritance with Jesus, answers to our prayers, fulfillment of our deepest desires, a godly character, fruitful work, and more. When years elapse between the promise and the fulfillment, we have questions. And like Abraham, we often try to work things out on our own. We forget the principle of hope against hope.

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ should be the final nail in the coffin of our doubts, but we often let the resurrection of our doubts loom larger than the resurrection of our Savior. The promises of God seem so far off that we despair, wondering if we’ve somehow misinterpreted them. We forget the truth of Hebrews 11:1, that faith is the assurance of things hoped for but not yet seen. We think if we haven’t seen the promises fulfilled, they may not be true. True faith says otherwise.

The life of faith – the pattern of relating to God from the beginning, but especially in the new creation – depends on seeing things that aren’t seen. Faith is substance, our hope made real, the future promises made present. Our faith wages epic battles against our sight, and we must always let faith win. The principle that God honors is hope against hope, as long as it is based upon His Word. Abraham was blessed by that principle; we will be too. (Happy Birthday, Little One! Your life continues to remind me of our ultimate hope.)

Have a hope-filled weekend. Make it better by worshiping The Lord with those who live day-by-day-by-day with faith in God and trust in His promises, because they are absolutely convinced He is their only true and lasting hope.

All For Jesus – Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else.

“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, The King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see, to Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:15b-16)