Verse of the Day 11/11

Verse of the Day 11/11

Romans 4:20  No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,     English Standard Version (ESV)

My daily Old Testament reading is currently in the book  of Genesis and I'm in the middle of the account of Abraham.  As you read through his life story, there were many ups and downs, many challenges to his faith and there were times where we might question his actions.  But through it all, God was faithful to him and he maintained a faith in God, as today's verse tells us "no unbelief made him waver".  He may have not understood things correctly, he may have become impatient, but his faith didn't sway.

As we face the ups and downs, the trials and struggles of life may we be able to do the same.  Sometimes we may get impatient and try to read God's will in our lives only to find out that we've gotten ahead of ourselves and ahead of God and we find ourselves on stormy seas with chaos raining down all around us.  But as with Abraham, God is faithful and He makes sure that His promises will come through.

As I considered that statement "no unbelief made him waver" the old hymn "Blessed Quietness" came to mind.  In life's challenges God spoke peace to Abraham, just as Jesus speaks peace to us, "and the billows cease to roll".

Joys are flowing like a river,
Since the Comforter has come;
He abides with us forever,
Makes the trusting heart His home.

• Refrain:
  Blessed quietness, holy quietness,
  Blest assurance in my soul!
  On the stormy sea, *Jesus speaks to me, [*He speaks peace to me,]
  And the billows cease to roll.

"He (Abraham) plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said. That's why it is said, "Abraham was declared fit before God by trusting God to set him right." - The Message (below).   May we too plunge into His promises and come up strong.

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Romans 4:20-25 The Message (MSG)

^19-25 Abraham didn't focus on his own impotence and say, "It's hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child." Nor did he survey Sarah's decades of infertility and give up. He didn't tiptoe around God's promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said. That's why it is said, "Abraham was declared fit before God by trusting God to set him right." But it's not just Abraham; it's also us! The same thing gets said about us when we embrace and believe the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless. The sacrificed Jesus made us fit for God, set us right with God.