Beyond the Gospels: Romans

To read the scriptures for today's devotional from Romans, click here: Romans 4:13-25

In this passage Paul tells about how Abraham believed God that he (Abraham) would be the “father of many nations” and “So numerous shall your descendants be.” (Romans 4:18) Abraham’s faith, his belief that God would do as he promised, was “reckoned to him as righteousness.”

Abraham had good reason to have his doubts. He and his wife, Sarah, had not been able to have children for years and years. And now, as they grew older, beyond the age at which couples had children, Abraham (and Sarah, as well) could have given in to doubt and despair.

But he didn’t. He didn’t know how God was going to do it. He didn’t have a detailed, step-by-step timeline on how God was going to make these miraculous things happen. Yet, he had faith that God would do it. And God did.

Paul points out that we can have the same kind of faith that Abraham did. Like Abraham, we may not know the details, but we can be assured that God’s word is true.

We can have that same kind of faith today. As disciples of Jesus Christ we may not know the exact specifics of how God will work through our lives, but we can through faith in Jesus Christ be assured that God can and will do mighty things through us. By ourselves we are limited, but with Christ we can change the world.

Dear God, help us to have the faith of Abraham. Help us to trust you and to live our lives fully in Christ, even when we may not know the specific details. Let us trust in you. Amen.