Fully assured that what God had promised, He is able also to perform.

Romans 4:13-5:5 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; ¹⁵ for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.

¹⁶ For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, ¹⁷ (as it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. ¹⁸ In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” ¹⁹ Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; ²⁰ yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, ²¹ and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. ²² Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. ²³ Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, ²⁴ but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵ He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; ⁵ and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Hebrews 11:1 says:  Now faith is the assurance (confidence, substance, reality) of things hoped for, the conviction (assurance, certainty, evidence) of things not seen.    2 Corinthians 5:7 says: We walk (live) by faith, not by sight.      So, we are to walk and live with confidence and assurance that we have or will receive what we do not see. Even though we do not see, there is evidence of the reality of that which we have faith for.  In today’s text it speaks of the faith of Abraham, to believe the promise of God. It says:    Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.      The last line is the key to Abraham’s faith and also should be the key to ours. His faith was in God. It was that God could do it. The promise to Abraham that he would have a child with Sarah was not dependent on the natural state and conditions of Abraham and Sarah. It was not dependant on the finite time of their body’s natural abilities. The promise of God to Abraham was dependant on a supernatural, infinite God, who is not limited by time or nature, because He is eternal and the creator of all things. If He could speak and form the heavens and the earth, then surely He could bring forth a child for Abraham. So, the child which was unseen, was believed in because of the evidence of the power of God, not the condition of Abraham and Sarah’s bodies.

The same evidence is available to each one of us today. Regardless of what it is that we need, whether healing, provision, protection, peace and security; God has promised something about it in His word. He has said it. Like Abraham, we too can see with our own eyes, the evidence of the supernatural power of God all around us. We also have the additional benefit of the evidence of what God has done previously for others, recorded in scripture. Malachi 3:6 says:   I, the LORD, do not change.  Numbers 23:19 says:  God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?  Hebrews 13:8 says:   Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.   The God of the Old Testament, in whom Abraham believed and trusted, and Jesus Christ His Son, our Lord and Savior are unchanging. They will do what they have done before and they will do what they say or promised to do.  Our confidence, our faith must rest in the ability and the integrity of God, not in our own ability or in the fickle circumstances of life. In Matthew 17:20 Jesus says:  “Truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.”   It is not the size or the amount of our faith that is important. It is the one in whom we have our faith that matters. In John 14:12-14 Jesus says:  “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.  And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may beglorified in the Son.If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”    Even though Jesus says that we will do the works He did and greater works, the assurance is in that He says “I will do it.” 

What is it that you are facing today? What is it that seems in possible based on the circumstances and what you see?  In Genesis 18:14, God spoke to Abraham saying:  “Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”  Today Jesus is speaking to you saying:  "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)  Don’t take my word for it; believe God, believe His word. There is a promise from the supernatural God of heaven for every need you have. Find what He said and believe. Don’t look at the evidence of the circumstances you see. Instead, Jesus says:  “Stand and look up, for your salvation is near!" (Luke 21:28)  Even more, Jesus says:  “Behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)  On the cross, Jesus said:  “It is finished!” (John 19:30)  Every need that we have has been met in the finished work of the cross. We can have faith, confidence and assurance for every need because it is already provided by Christ. Jesus taught us that we should pray saying:   “Your kingdom come, Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven.”  The kingdom of heaven is already within you. Look within and hear the assurance of the Holy Spirit rather than the voices of the world.

Today’s text ends saying:  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.   Amen.  Whatever it is that stands before us, we have the confidence of knowing that Jesus Christ stands with us and in us. Look up! Look in!

Thank You heavenly Father; Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit.   Amen.