Abraham – Natural Hope Verses God’s Promised Hope

Gods-Promise-To-Abraham-350-webby Rex Rouis

Just because you’re in a hopeless situation does not mean there is no hope.

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Romans 4:18 NIV

When there was nothing left to hope for, Abraham still hoped and believed. As a result, he became a father of many nations, as he had been told: “That is how many descendants you will have.” Romans 4:18 God’s Word

Under utterly hopeless circumstances he hopefully believed, so that he might become the forefather of many nations, in agreement with the words “Equally numerous shall your posterity be.” Romans 4:18 Weymouth

Who, being beyond hope, upon the basis of hope believed, in order that he might become father of many nations, according to that which has been spoken with finality, In this manner will your offspring be. Romans 4:18 Wuest

Even when Abraham and Sarah were younger Sarah was barren and could have no children. Now they were well beyond natural childbearing years. There was now no possible way in the natural that they could conceive. There was no reason for them to expect it. Hope is a desire that has a plausible reason or basis for it to happen. Hope concerns something that can actually be expected. Childbearing at their age was not something they could plausibly hope to expect. Abraham could not rely upon natural hope. In the natural, there was no hope.

However, God gave Abraham a promise, and that promise was that he would have descendants with Sarah. On the basis of that promise he could now have a ‘God hope.’ It is upon that hope that Abraham relied and believed. The Bible says that he was, “…Fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.” (Romans 4:21) He believed the promise of God given to him, and because of that belief, and in exchange for that belief, the Bible says that, “…It was credited to him as righteousness.” In other words, Abraham could still receive the answer. Abraham was beyond natural hope but he was within God’s promised hope.

We are to look beyond natural circumstances. We are not to deny natural circumstances but we are to look beyond them. Romans 4: 17b says that, “…He (Abraham) believed God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things that be not as though they were.” It does not say that God ‘calls those things that be as though they are not.’ Hope and faith are not based on a denial of natural conditions, they are based on God’s spoken word despite natural conditions. It is a belief that He will change the natural circumstances to fulfill that promise. That promise must be known, received, and believed. And it must be acted upon. This is the walk of faith.

Faith is a heart knowing that God is able and willing to change natural circumstances to fulfill a promise previously given to you.

Comments

  1. If thou canst believe all things are possible.
    It works !!! I believed, spoke to the situation and it happened. (Took six months … But I waited patiently.. and there it was !!)

    1. Author

      Good for you! Now quick, do it again on something else. Don’t stop. Each time you receive something from God you receive and little more of God. It is the win-win process of Heaven and He calls it ‘salvation.’ We love you. Rex

  2. I was studying my sunday lesson and Friday is our fast day I have been reading and absorbing all and than I came upon your page God has been dealing with me strongly the last pat week and he has let me know when I cannot he can what is impossible for me is possible for him and a part I read came out to me was this God promises is his word and his word is his promise. years ago when a man gave a handshake it was his bond I am in my 80 never want to stop learning about my Father I told my son I was to old to teach again and he reminded me of abeham so I stand on his promises he is not through with ne yet, God bless you and thank you with all my heart it was no accident I found your site today thank you. thank you

  3. Thanks for this wonderful teaching about faith and hope, blessed man of God.

  4. Themail teaching’s here are very enriching.
    I am so glad that I found this site.
    Please keep on the good work.
    May God reward your efforts in Jesus name amen.

    1. Thank you very much for this article on faith. I accidentally find this site. Very encouraging. Helps me improve my faith and look beyond circumstances. May God Bless You richly.

  5. Excellent article! Thanks for that friendly reminder about faith and taking God at His word! ??

  6. Rex, Thank you for all the wonderful articles. I feed on these often to help keep my faith strong. This one on Hope was so encouraging. God Bless…..

    1. Author

      Opal – Thank you. It was the great surprise of writing this blog to realize how important hope is, and how we have minimized it in relation to faith. Yes, faith is the most emphasized concept in the New Testament – see Interesting New Testament Word Occurrences but of course it is not the only concept. And, you cannot get to faith without previously having hope (Hebrews 11:1). Hope is huge. Hope is what encourages us and motivates us. Hope, the Bible says, is the ‘anchor of the soul.’ Luther once said, “Every tree that has ever been planted, has been planted in hope.” It is the force behind all of our endeavors. God bless you. Rex

  7. This is really an excellent mini-teaching on hope. I found it tremendously encouraging and insightful.

    It reinforces in my mind God’s value on faith; “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭6-7‬ NIV) This world values gold, but the currency of Heaven is faith, and God seems to want us to grow our wealth in it here on earth by challenging us to stand on “God hope.”

    Thank you. I truly appreciated this article. I only wish I knew the name of the person who wrote it. I didn’t see any name cited.

    1. Author

      Jeanne – Thank you for your gracious comment. All articles without an attributed name are written by me. Thanks again, Rex.

  8. Thank so so much for this website. Since I stumbled on it my life has not been the same? You are doing a great Job. I use this website for my devotional and read one post a day. It has been GREAT. Thank you for taking time to put this together. God bless you.

    1. Author

      Ijeoma – Thank you. I am so glad it is helping you. It is helping because you are doing what the Bible tells you to do.

      My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:20-23

      God bless you. Don’t stop. Rex

  9. Excellent post! True faith does not allow natural obstacles to keep it from manifesting. Meaning that when you have faith in God about something you have to look way beyond the obstacles that may be on your path in the natural realm. Faith is about believing in God’s ability and power to intervene on your behalf in no matter what you are going through.

  10. A nicely written piece that appealled to my spiritual senses. What an awesome God we serve!

    1. Author

      G – Thank you, that really blesses me. We do serve an awesome God! One that speaks promises and requires faith.

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