Hearing His Voice #32

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed.

Romans 4:18, NIV

One of the key lessons for us to learn in God’s school of faith-building is the fine art of staring at seeming contradictions to what He has said while maintaining our hope in His promises. After Abraham was given a promise—that he would be a father of nations—he waited a quarter of a century for it to come to pass. God didn’t tell him how or when, so Abraham tried several times to fill in the blanks for himself. But the promise got more specific over time: It would be fulfilled from Abraham’s own body, not through an adopted servant; through the body of his wife, Sarah, not through her maid. And there was nothing for Abraham to do but wait. When the time finally came, both he and Sarah laughed. The promise seemed long overdue. But God had spoken, and they had believed. So even when circumstances seemed hopeless, Abraham trusted what God had said.

That is to be our posture as well when we’ve heard God’s voice. We may encounter enormous contradictions, but faith holds on and hopes. Sometimes we’ll misunderstand, and our faith will need to be redirected. Sometimes we’ll expect results in a certain time frame, and we’ll be disappointed. But one way or another, God will fulfill what He has spoken. His word does not return to Him empty. Sometimes we have to contend with our own hearts and circumstances to remember that.

Our training isn’t complete until we can stare contradictions in the face and still have peaceful hearts that hope against all hope. We might prefer that God would cultivate our faith by rewarding it immediately, like a dog trainer who rewards a good trick with a treat. But God doesn’t normally work that way; He cultivates our faith by hiding Himself and encouraging us to seek Him. This now-you-see-Him-now-you-don’t process can be frustrating, but it’s essential. And when we learn to hope against hope in what God has promised, our hope receives its rewards.

Lord, fill me with hope, the kind that does not disappoint. Keep me rooted not just in what You’ve said but in who You are. Help me to trust Your heart no matter what I see.