Hope Against Hope Series

Romans 4:18 "Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be."

The Bible without guidance and revelation from the Holy Spirit can seem contradicting at times. Scriptures might seem to clash but if that ever is the case it's because of a lack of understanding on our part that only and only The Holy Spirit can give. God appeared to Abraham when him and Sarah were past child bearing age to tell him He had made him a father of many nations and gave him promises that his seed would out number the stars and Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.

The scripture can be broken down in two parts the first is Abraham was "against hope" he was about a hundred years old and him and Sarah were way past child bearing age. There was absolutely nothing in the physical that gave him the slightest hope they could bear the "seed" as many as the stars the Lord had said. The Bible says his body was "dead" (verse 19) and he had nothing to cling to in the natural. The second part says despite being "against hope" Abraham "believed in hope." Clearly there are two different types of hope being described here one of them is natural and the other is spiritual. In the natural, Abraham and Sarah were old and there was no hope but "against" what he saw in the natural he believed in a spiritual hope that doesn't disappoint or make ashamed (Romans 5:5) it was a living hope based on "God who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were", Abraham instead of being discouraged by what he could see in the natural, gave glory to God Who had bound Himself to what He had said not only with a promise, but with an oath as well.

In difficult times when doubt and unbelief creep in, the moment we take our eyes off God and focus on what's happening in the natural the bleakness of the situation hits us between the eyes and we see just how bad the situation really is but Abraham "considered not his own body now dead, neither the deadness of Sarah's womb" he took his eyes completely off the natural, off what he could see with his eyes and focused on the spiritual, the reality.

The natural has nothing to offer us but a fake reality which only God can change the Bible tells us to fix our eyes on what we can't see not on what we see because what can see is temporary. Why would you continue believing God in tough times? Because He is Who He says He is He loves you and has shown it countless times, Because of what He has done in the past, the times He came through His faithfulness out shining that bleak situation. Because you know the things He has delivered you out of the former wreckless lifestyle. If He was there then He is here now a very present help in time of need. The Bible says we who have fled to God for refuge have a strong consolation and our hope in Him is "an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast" (Hebrews 6:18-19).