Romans 4:17

New International Version (NIV)

 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.

For meditation

Waiting for God is among the hardest spiritual exercises. Saul’s example at Michmash, when his soldiers were scattering and Samuel delayed   illustrates this (1 Sam. 13:5-14). Waiting is what the Lord asks of you when He delays (Hab. 2:3). Though difficult, it yields glorious rewards (Isa. 40:31). Yet you may still fall short, as seen with Sarah waiting for the promised child (Gen. 16:1-4) and Peter fishing after the resurrection (Jn. 21:1-3).

Just as in these examples of waiting, many of us  face inner struggles. You may experience a crisis of faith that threatens your integrity and testimony. Asaph testifies to his near fall. He saw the boastful prosper (Psa. 73:1-3) and at ease (12), while he kept his heart pure but struggled with lack (13-16).

Considering these struggles, what have you been waiting on God for, and what is your patience level?

Take, for instance, the experience of waiting in relationships. If you are a young person, have you kept yourself for the Lord, trusting Him to bring the right life partner? Maybe you are now thinking it is too late. Do you feel you are getting too old for anyone seriously seeking marriage? Perhaps you are tempted to trade your faith and purity for a little pleasure, hoping to find that special person this way. Please don’t! Hold on a little longer.

You may be a couple who have long trusted the Lord for a child, yet remain without that joy. Your faith is fading, and you feel tempted to rebel against God, believing He has been unfaithful and unkind. But has He really?

Or you work in business and have been resisting pressure to conform. As a result, you have lost contracts. You could have acted unethically to gain wealth but chose not to. Will you abandon your integrity as responsibilities like face losing your house grow. Will you compromise your values in business and in the corridors of power? Is that how you want your story to end?

God is not dead, nor has He  changed. He is the same God you trust, just as Abraham trusted Him against all odds, becoming the father of many nations (Rom. 4:18). Age did not limit Him in the case of  Abraham and Sarah or with Zechariah and Elizabeth (Gen. 21:1-7; Lk. 1:13, 18). Joseph honored God by fleeing Mrs. Potiphar (Gen. 39:7-12), while Daniel honored Him in his career and saw God’s goodness in the lions’ den (Dan. 6). In every case, God did not disappoint those who trusted Him. Why should it be different for you?

The faithful God who called you “gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were” (Rm. 4:17 NIV). He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself (2 Tim. 2:13).

Therefore, keep trusting God, believing He will fulfill His promises. Acknowledge His sovereignty in all circumstances, knowing He will honor Himself in your situation for His name’s sake. Amen.

Pray with Me

May He who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power at work within us, surprise you. May He make you fruitful in all things in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. 

Shalom

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