Having the Faith of Abraham

For a Christian there is no greater need then that of faith. Faith in Jesus is what saves us. Faith in the words of Jesus guide us. Faith in God that He is interested in us on a daily basis. I could state many other situations where faith is necessary but I wonder just how many believers really understand their faith and how to increase their faith. There is a very interesting verse, Romans 4:21 “fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised”. The apostle Paul was talking about Abraham and his faith. I wonder how many Christians think they actually have the kind of faith of Abraham but in reality their faith falls short of the kind of trust that Abraham had in God. I will speak for myself and I know my faith is not at the level of Abraham's faith.

First, let's look at the circumstances for a moment. Abraham and Sarah were too old naturally speaking to have a son. This was not the time of the first promise given. Abraham then continued to trust in the promise for over 20 years without seeing any sign of the promise becoming a reality.

Second, most Americans are trapped in the mind set that if you have to wait for anything it is a huge problem. We have little to no concept of what it would mean to wait for anything as long as Abraham waited. This instant gratification mentality will hinder our faith.

Third, God has spoken in His Word many times about our need to wait upon the Lord. The benefits of waiting upon the Lord are numerous. We received spiritual strength, a renewing of our bodies, encouragement in our lives, answers to our prayers, spiritual insight and revelation and the development of our faith. Let me remind you that God is more interested in our character then He is in our comfort.

It is clear from the Word of God we all can develop a similar kind of faith that Abraham possessed in which a 20 year old promise was fulfilled in the birth of Isaac. So the question is how can I increase my faith so I can say that I am fully convinced that God is able to do what He has promised. Now it is easy for us to say that but it is not as easy to live it. One: Read, listen and meditate upon the Word of God. “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17 The apostle Paul was a person of great faith so when we listen to His advice we will grow in our faith. Two: study and then stand on the character of God. God is faithful is a reoccurring theme of the scriptures. Jesus promised to be with us and to meet our needs when we put God and His kingdom first in our lives. Third: be observant of the activity of God in your life and in the lives of faithful people. God is at work all the time though we may not always recognize it. The miracles, signs and wonders of God are written down to encourage us to trust God.

May the God of all possibilities bring an increase of your faith so you can trust that He is able to do that which He has promised to do.