Romans 4:17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

It makes all the difference what kind of God we believe in. We use the word, omnipotent, and we refer to Him as “the Almighty,” but do we really believe that’s who He is? We dilute those words all the time. I’ve seen ads that called detergents “almighty!” The simple fact of the matter is that we can’t really grasp the totally unlimited nature of God’s power and ability because we are finite, and He is infinite. However, we can get flashes of revelation, and they are blessed indeed. That is what faith is all about. As it says in Hebrews, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) That’s easily said and not so easily practiced! Abraham was faced with a very practical test of faith, as Paul goes on to point out after this verse, one that would make any logical human being give up. It’s hard to argue with basic biology! However, Abraham chose to believe in the God who spoke the universe out of nothing, and as a result, his “dead” body was restored to full function, as was that of his wife. We find it easier to believe for things that are far off from us, but you can’t get any closer or more intimate than what Abraham faced. Actually, eternal salvation is equally close to home, though it isn’t physical. We have to believe that Jesus died for me, not just the abstract, “for mankind.” There can be no salvation without the awareness and acknowledgement that it is necessary. However, we also have to believe that it is available, and that’s what evangelism is all about: telling people about the salvation that Jesus paid for on the cross. That said, we won’t do that unless we believe it ourselves. Saving faith is a gift from God, (Ephesians 2:8-9) but we have to choose to accept it.

I was raised in a household of faith, which was a blessing that can hardly be overstated, but I had to apply it in practical terms for myself. I distinctly remember going into my parents’ bedroom one night when I was seven, saying I wanted to be baptized as a believer in Jesus. That was real, but it quickly got sidetracked by pride. I had a couple of moments of real intimacy with God after that, but by the time I was 24, I was really deeply mired in spiritual pride. God, in His incredible grace and mercy, held a mirror up to me for just a moment, and I saw the blackness of my own soul and cried out to Him, “My Lord and my God!” That God could forgive such hubris as I has practiced was a huge lesson in faith! Right now I am faced with another challenge of faith, as I am aware of the limitations of my physical heart. I have a very busy schedule for the next few months, and yesterday I had to use a nitroglycerine tablet after just taking out the trash! I am not to be presumptive, but I am to rest in the assurance that God’s grace is all I need, (2 Corinthians 12:9) with or without any medical intervention. I am to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, just as He has told me to do, so that His purposes may be accomplished on His schedule by His strength, in and through me, for His glory.

Father, thank You for yesterday and all it held. Thank You that everything went so smoothly, though I was indeed exhausted, and went to sleep immediately after going to bed at 9. Today is a full day time-wise, and I don’t know all the appointments You have for me. May I not be anxious about any of it, but flow with Your Spirit on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!