DAY 13

FULLY PERSUADED

JENNY NITZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE WOODS CHURCH

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.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. Romans 4:18–21

Can you imagine the kind of faith it takes to be fully persuaded that you’ll be the father of many nations when your body is 100 years old and “as good as dead”? (Those are his words, not mine!) Yet that was Abraham’s stance toward God’s promise—he was fully persuaded that God had the power to do exactly what He said He would do.

I’ve read Romans before, but these verses caught my attention in a new way this time. It begins with, “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed…” At first, that doesn’t even make sense, but that’s where Abraham’s faith bridged the gap. From a human perspective, there was no reason to hope—he was 100 years old, Sarah’s womb was barren, and nothing about their situation made sense for starting a family. And yet, Abraham chose to believe God’s promise. He didn’t let the reality of his circumstances cancel out his trust in God.

He was fully persuaded that God’s promises were true and would be fulfilled.

Abraham’s story shows that God’s timeline and methods often look nothing like ours, but His faithfulness is never in question. When we choose to trust Him, even when nothing makes sense, our faith becomes a testimony to others. Just as Abraham’s trust impacted generations to come, our faith can inspire and strengthen those around us. What God did for Abraham, He can do for us—because His power and promises have never changed. The very first verse in the New Testament, Matthew 1:1, starts by saying, “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Generations later, with only two specific names, Abraham is marked in the genealogy of Jesus!

I often think we have the privilege of looking at the big picture of the Bible - we learn the stories and know their endings. Do you ever wonder if Abraham would have been amazed that his name was specific to the ancestry of Jesus? This challenges me. I want my faith to grow this year. I want to be fully persuaded that, even when the circumstances say otherwise, God keeps His promises to me and to His people. We can acknowledge the struggle, and still trust God. Trusting Him in the midst of the circumstances brings glory to Him. Like Abraham, may we be fully persuaded that the God who promises will come through.

PRAYER: God, I want my faith in You and Your promises to grow. My heart’s desire is to be fully persuaded that You are faithful, and You will do what You’ve promised. Help me to look back and see where You’ve already done that and build on it for the future. Thank You for Your goodness and faithfulness to me!