ROMANS 4:19-24 STRONG IN FAITH He was strong in faith when with no one else around of like mind, he stepped out alone in faith in God. The world had gone away from God to their idols and set up stone and wood gods. They made their sacrifices to demons and in self-degradation were without God and without hope in the world. It was there in Ur the God of glory first appeared to Abraham. Again, God revealed Himself as Jehovah although Abraham didn't know the meaning of that name. A third time, God Most High, El Elyon appeared to him as the "Possessor of heaven and earth," and the One over nations and kings. The fourth time He revealed Himself as Lord, Adonai-Jehovah; the fifth time as El Shaddai, the Almighty God; the sixth time as the Everlasting God and the seventh time as the God who will provide, Jehovah-Jireh. This man of faith knew his God and from the beginning of his life of faith, "looked for a city which hath foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God."
He knew his own condition as a man, and he knew the condition and place in life of Sarah. He also knew his God and because he was strengthened in his faith, he gave God glory without doubting God's promise. When one is sure that God has given His promise regarding a matter, we can rest in confidence that it will be done. God reckons such faith as righteousness. Abraham was not reckoned righteous because he left Ur of the Chaldees, or built altars, or was victorious in battle. He was reckoned righteous when he believed the promise of blessing to the nations would come through his "seed," - through the Lord Jesus Christ. It was then he rejoiced to see Christ and believed the promise of God. By nature he was as good as dead, but by faith he believed blessing would come to the world through Christ.
This same principle of faith that does not waver holds good for us today. Lot, Abraham's nephew, walked by sight and as far as his testimony was concerned, he was of the world even though he was saved. Our faith will be reckoned (considered to be so) to be righteous and counted as righteousness by God when faith is living and strong - and placed in God alone. We who believe that God is satisfied with what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us when He was made the propitiation for our sins, we, like Abraham are reckoned as righteous. Abraham's faith was tested and we too should expect to be tested. "The trial of your faith is more precious than gold that perisheth."
It is God in whom we have put our faith. We believe God because He is God. Nothing we are or do has anything to do with our being counted righteous. But our faith is in Him because He has raised our Lord Jesus Christ from among the dead. He has been raised. That is a fact. He has been seen by many. That is a fact. He has been received up into glory. That is a fact.
The Holy Spirit has come and empowered the people of God so that they are truly strong in faith. Now our placing is in the Risen Christ in whom we are set by God. We have been justified from all things by His blood. Our faith is placed in a Sure Person, based on a finished work, that secures us a privileged position in which we find ourselves accepted in the Beloved. This glorious fact binds our hearts to Him in spite of the trials of faith that enable us to be strengthened in Him.
By nature, we are weak - by faith we are strong. By faith we can stand, when all around us is wrong. What seems impossible to men, is assured to us by faith. Looking back, we see God working in this path of life we trace.
When God makes a promise, we know it will come to pass. By being strengthened in our faith, as long as the trial shall last We know that God has a purpose if it is for one year or ten - And when we can look back, we will understand it then.
The things that happen in life will all someday make sense. Faith wouldn't be a part of life if we knew why things are sent. God has His reasons for withholding or giving as He sees. Our faith becomes reality when it is God's promises that we seize.
It is not just on rare occasions that God wants us to live by faith. When there is a need that arises, we have to trust in the God of grace. Sometimes the need is met, other times there is no relief - But God's grace is sufficient for us; ours is simply to believe.
A wonderful blessing results from things we may not understand. God counts our faith as righteousness when we grasp what He does hand. The reason we may not know; the end results may be obscure - The point of being strong in faith, is through testing we learn to endure.
I know in whom I have believed, He forever remains the same. When times of trial come, I know there is power in Jesus' name. So, I will seek to learn the lessons, and take it to God in prayer. Even though the reasons I may never know, by faith I will leave it there.
"My Gracious Father, I thank Thee for trusting me with holy things. My prayer is that I will be able to discharge the message of Thy truth in a way that is understood and that it will make a difference in the lives of those who hear. May I be a living testimony of what I speak. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."