Verse of the Day 11/21

Verse of the Day 11/21

Romans 4:18 Holman Christian Standard Bible

18 He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be.

I read Romans 4 this morning as I was preparing for our men's Bible study as we will be going through this chapter tomorrow.  As you can tell by the verse, hope will be something that we'll be talking about tomorrow.  Have you ever believed, hoping against hope, hoping when seemingly, all hope was gone?

This verse brings my mind to our son Jeff.  Injured and disabled by a traumatic brain injury in a car accident when he was 16, he now says that "hope is my favorite thing to have."  He spent 5 weeks in a coma followed by 8 weeks in a rehab facility before returning home.  Some doctors told us that we should find a good home for him.  All basically said that he would never walk or talk again and that whatever he gained back within 6 months was about all that he would get back.   We were hoping against hope, but still trusting, God had more for him.  He didn't speak his first words until 2 years after the accident.  Now, just about everything he says is with joy, with thanks and in praise to God.

Everyone that comes to know him is blessed by his joy and his "woo-whos".  We've even coined a new phrase about it, halle- woo-who jah!

Abraham believed that God would provide a son, he waited for more than a few years, didn't have a son (by natural birth) until he was 99 years old.  And from that hope he became the father of nations.

Whatever you or a friend or family member may be facing today, may you believe, even hoping against hope.  

Steven Curtis Chapman expounds on the hope that we have in God in the following words from his song "With Hope".

And we can cry with hope
We can say good-bye with hope
'Cause we know our good-bye is not the end
And we can grieve with hope
'Cause we believe with hope

We wait with hope
And we ache with hope
We hold on with hope
We let go with hope

We have this hope as an anchor
'Cause we believe that everything
God promised us is true

Hebrews 6:19-20  Holman Christian Standard Bible

19 We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. 20 Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

Blessings,

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 4:13-24. Holman Christian Standard Bible.  

The Promise Granted through Faith

13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.[a] 14 If those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made empty and the promise is canceled. 15 For the law produces wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression. 16 This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants—not only to those who are of the law[b] but also to those who are of Abraham's faith. He is the father of us all 17 in God's sight. As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations.[c] He believed in God, who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist. 18 He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations[d] according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be.[e] 19 He considered[f] his own body to be already dead (since he was about 100 years old) and also considered the deadness of Sarah's womb, without weakening in the faith. 20 He did not waver in unbelief at God's promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 because he was fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 Therefore, it was credited to him for righteousness.[g] 23 Now it was credited to him was not written for Abraham alone, 24 but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.