Category Archives: Faith Rawley

Twisting God’s Arm?

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Lanie| 1 Comment

By Faith Rawley

Currently I’m trying to sell my car – not very easy!  I’m doing this for a few reasons: firstly to save money, secondly because Ben and I can get by with one car – with a little compromise.  But mainly I need to sell the car in preparation for moving to California for nine months to do a ministry school there.

So far we haven’t had much interest and at times I do feel a bit anxious about the whole thing because we have a deadline by which time we definitely need to sell it, but also the longer it takes to sell the less money we will save for going away.  In prayer I find myself thinking, ‘God, we’re following you to do this school so you need to sort this sale out for us’ (that’s the blunt version).  The verse: ‘Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you’ (Matthew 6:33) comes to mind.  As selling the car is part of the plan to move in a direction that we feel God is leading us we believe we are trying to seek His Kingdom first, in the best way we know how to, but I’m still waiting for the ‘all things shall be added’ part – is that twisting God’s arm?

I’m reading ‘When Heaven Invades Earth’ by Bill Johnson and in it he looks at that verse in Matthew.  Johnson says,

‘It has always seemed to me that the phrase “and all these things shall be added to you” meant that if my priorities were correct He’d make sure I got what I needed.  After understanding the model prayer better [from Matthew 6], I’m not so sure that was His intent.  He was saying that, if we seek His Kingdom first, we’ll find His Kingdom comes fully equipped.  It brings with it His answer to our material and relational needs.’

Even though we are putting God’s Kingdom priorities first that doesn’t mean that God’s outworking of the ‘all things’ will be according to what we think should happen, in the time frame we think it should happen.  Maybe I’m thinking too small by just focusing on the car sale as that being God’s answer to our material needs?  Maybe I am actually still more concerned with my material needs being met than trusting that by truly seeking His Kingdom, there is no lack in it or in Him?  My outlook is now shifting from focusing on getting the car sold to believing that His Kingdom will bring with it the answers, provisions and blessings we need, even if they’re not the ones we were anticipating.

 

Watch this space…..

 

 

**So since writing the post, we have sold the car!  A friend of ours bought it from us and she actually gave us the full asking price for it!!  She recently came back from attending the same course that we are planning to go on, so wanted to bless us in our preparations.  We are totally blown away by God’s provision in this situation.  But we also feel privileged to be part of the answer to someone else’s needs.

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Personality Test

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Lanie| 9 Comments

By: Faith Rawley

Currently, I am enrolled on a management training course through work.  Among other things, we have spent a lot of time trying to gain a greater understanding of our own personalities and styles of working.

We’ve had to do a number of ‘questionnaires’ that are used to then analyse our personality type, how we view life, how we take in information, how we make decisions, and how we learn.

As I was doing one of these questionnaires I started to feel highly uncomfortable with answering the questions.  I appreciate that these questionnaires are only meant to give you a guide to your personality and not box you into a specific type, but I was surprised at what I felt when I was completing it.

On the one hand, I’m sure we all have things that we’d like to change about ourselves.  We have traits that aren’t always the best or most loving, especially when it comes to how we respond to the people around us.  I know I could do with being more patient and flexible in situations so that I don’t get frustrated when things don’t work to plan.

But as I did the questionnaire I found myself feeling bad for the way I was thinking to respond.  I even started to get cross at the questionnaire thinking that the questions seemed to suggest that there is a ‘best’ way to be and a ‘not-so-good’ way to be.  Of course this is ridiculous – it’s just a test and isn’t trying to make me feel bad about myself.  So why did I?

 

 

I began to realise that in some of the questions I found myself wishing I could put down the more ‘acceptable’ response to some of the questions.  But actually maybe that was less about how the quiz was designed and more about the fact that I don’t always appreciate who I am.

Too often I view the traits and characteristics that I have as being somehow inferior to those that I see in other people.  I’m not as loud or confident seeming in a big group; not as happy-go-lucky as others, probably not as imaginative or intuitive either.  But I am a good friend and I can engage with people more deeply on a one-to-one level; I am organised and efficient and can get a job done when it needs doing; and I’m observant of people’s feelings and what’s going on around me.  I guess what I realised is that in lots of cases there aren’t ‘best’ and ‘not-so-good’ qualities to have, there are just different qualities.  I need to appreciate how God has made me and not think that my traits are inferior compared to someone.  Maybe they’re thinking the same about me?

 

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Spring Clean- Time to Declutter

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Lanie| 3 Comments

by: Faith Rawley

When my husband and I moved into our house about two years ago we didn’t have enough space for all of our ‘stuff’.  Fortunately we had a shed that just became a storage unit for all the boxes we couldn’t unpack.  Almost two years on and we’ve hardly looked, or even thought about some of the things we have stored there.  So as the ‘Spring Clean Season’ approaches our plan is to have a good sort through of all of our stuff and I’m looking forward to making extra space and getting rid of unnecessary clutter.

 

As I’ve been thinking about the big ‘spring clean’ I’ve started to wonder whether I’m also holding onto unnecessary, non-material clutter in my life; the kind of ‘stuff’ that takes up space and limits my ability to fully enjoy relationship with God.  Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating a monastic style life but something within me is crying out for simplicity that better allows me to cultivate communion with God.

 

Clutter in my spiritual life is anything that doesn’t give me the mind space to focus on God throughout the day.  We can’t get rid of everything that fills our minds, like our jobs, families, friendships, etc.  But for me there are lots of non-essential things I do fill my life with; things I treasure and draw comfort from apart from God.  I find it difficult to get rid of these things because they start to become sentimental to me.  These things can be favourite T.V. programs or movies I frequently watch; the music I fill my ears with at any opportunity; the sometimes driving need to exercise; the desire to be a good homemaker.  Even when I’m brushing my teeth I’m checking my phone or playing games instead of taking the time to listen to God.  Our experience of what it means to be a Christian can often get cluttered with programs, meetings, and other activities rather than opportunities to live out genuine faith.

 

These verses from Philippians have been on my mind as I’ve thought about the need to refocus back on God and reassess whether I’m filling my life with things that don’t give Him the space He deserves:

Philippians 3: 8-9 says, ‘Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.’

 

Maybe with the approach of Spring you too may want to have a clear out and get rid of some life clutter to make space for Him.

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Press on toward the goal

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Abby| 3 Comments

By Faith Rawley

Earlier this month my family and I said goodbye to my Granddad.  He was 88-years-old when he died and had lived a really long and full life.  He was an incredible husband, father, Granddad and Great-Granddad and everyone who knew him will miss him.  He was a kind, caring, fun, thoughtful and generous man to everyone he came into contact with and he always took such an interest in the lives of others.  For me I will remember my Granddad as a man who walked with God everyday – he loved and trusted him and listened closely to his voice.

His funeral was an honouring time of celebrating his life but the one theme that came across was how well this man had run his race.

I’m not meaning to sound morbid or too serious, but I came away from that experience with a fresh sense of how much I want to live my life well and press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called my heavenward in Christ Jesus – forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.  (Phil 3:13-14)

Life does involve perseverance – it’s not always easy and sometimes we feel like giving up but Jesus is with us at every step encouraging us and running with us.

In closing let me encourage you to read and meditate on the following verses and I trust they will give you a fresh boost of energy to persevere and live life worthy of your calling.

Hebrews 12:1-3 ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.’

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Love honours difference and does not compare; love is secure

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Abby| 4 Comments

By Faith Rawley

‘Love does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonour others; it is not self-seeking’ 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

I think unknowingly whenever I have read this verse I have usually considered the traits of envy, jealousy and pride to be the worst of the ones described in this passage and I’d not easily admit to being envious or jealous, prideful or boasting…..is that proud to say?! But I do fall into the trap of comparing myself with other people a lot of the time and I’m starting to realise that actually comparison can be the root of these other traits.

I do look at other people and their situations often secretly wishing that I was more like them.  If only my body looked more like hers, if only I had the job that they do, had more money, a bigger house, newer clothes then I’d be happier.  Or even worse I look at people and say to myself, ‘well at least I’m not like them…’ (I’ll let you fill in the blanks of what might finish that sentence!)  Comparing ourselves starts us on the track of feeling envious of what another person has or it makes us boast in what we have compared to another person.

One area I started to notice that I was comparing myself to others was in the area of gifts in the church.  I would often look at other people’s gifts – the pastoral gift, the gift of song writing and the prophetic gift – and I wished that these came more naturally to me.  I felt second best because I didn’t have these more important seeming abilities.  I overlooked what God has gifted me with and didn’t value the unique gifts He had given to me.  Also because I saw certain gifts as more important than others, I devalued gifts that to me seemed to be less significant, like hospitality and serving and prayer, and I sometimes overlooked the people with these gifts.

By allowing God’s love to fill my heart and address the insecurities and wrong mind-sets I was able to find security in knowing that I am exactly the way He has made me to be.  In learning how to appreciate myself I started to appreciate the differences in other people as well.  I began to see that we each walk a different path through life…one way is not better or worse than another just different.

God’s love filling our hearts helps us to honour who we are and to honour who God has made others to be without feeling the need to compare ourselves.  If I could rewrite this verse I’d write it like this: ‘Love honours difference and does not compare; Love is secure.’  

 

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You Hold My World in the Palm of Your Hand

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Abby| 10 Comments

By Faith Rawley

On the 1st of December I fell off my bike whilst cycling home from work. I was
excited to get home that evening because my husband and I were going to put up
our Christmas Tree! But as the front wheel of my bike got caught on the curb of the pavement I was trying to mount, and I went toppling over face first into the concrete all my plans and thoughts instantly changed.

I don’t think I had a slow-motion experience as my bike and I fell over, in fact I don’t really remember what happened at all. Not because I blacked out, but more because I was in complete shock. I just remember pacing around in pain and disbelief of what had just happened. I then realised that I was bleeding from my mouth but I didn’t know what was wrong. I tried holding my gloves up to my mouth to control the blood as another cyclist stopped to see if I was alright. He kindly let me borrow his phone and I was able to call Ben (who had thankfully just arrived home from being in a different city all day!). Through tears I told Ben that I’d fallen off my bike and asked him to come and pick me up. This is going to sound really silly, but I sent the other cyclist away because I started to feel very self-conscious as I didn’t really know the extent of what was wrong with my face and I didn’t know what I looked like! I started to become aware that my lip didn’t feel right but all I could think was that I wanted to get home and wash my face and put a bandage on the cut whatever it was.

A lady runner, who was passing, stopped and insisted on waiting with me. I was very grateful for this even though I felt embarrassed and very emotional still. Finally Ben arrived in the car. He took one look at me and said we should probably go straight to the accident and emergency at the nearest hospital (the place I work incidentally). I started to feel a bit scared because I really didn’t know how bad the injuries were and as the adrenalin was disappearing I was becoming more aware of the pain.

Ben’s mum, Carole, drove us straight to the hospital then waited with us both. A&E was fairly quiet that evening so I didn’t have to wait as long as you might normally have to. Amazingly there was a maxillofacial doctor in the emergency unit that night so I had a specialist who could see me and assess my facial wounds. I had split my lip straight through and by this point it was already very swollen and was still bleeding. The area around my right eye was grazed and had taken quite a hit as I went down. The only other damage was a graze on my hand and bruises on my legs. I won’t go into the gory details but I had to have a local anaesthetic injection in my lip and then 5-6 stitches. I’d never had stitches before or even broken a bone so I did feel nervous about the whole ordeal.

Once the stitches were in and I was cleaned up I was sent off home with instructions that it would take at least a week for the stitches to dissolve and it would take a few weeks before the lip properly healed. Despite finding it difficult to eat, drink, talk or smile the healing is coming along very well and it doesn’t look like there will be much sign of the cut on my lip when it’s fully healed.

Overall the accident could have been so much worse than it was – I didn’t break any bones and the injuries were all fairly temporary. No cars were involved, which could have made it a lot worse, and I was wearing a cycling helmet!

The two days previous to the accident God had really impressed upon me the fact that He holds me in the palm of His hand. We had been preparing for Sunday worship and one of the songs we were going over was ‘With All I Am’ by Reuben Morgan, which has the line in it, ‘You hold my world in the palm of your hand’. As we were singing God really impressed this thought on me afresh and I knew God was speaking this directly to me. The next day I was helping Ben lead a session on hearing the voice of God with some of the young people of the church. We were reading the word and asking God to speak to us through it. As we read Isaiah 40, verse 12 stood out to me:

‘Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?’

I felt God again impressing on me that His hand is big enough to contain the whole world and I’m included in that. There’s nothing too big for Him but also there’s nothing too small for Him to notice and care about.

Even though I went through a whole host of emotions at the time of the accident and in the days and weeks following it, I have really known a strong sense of God’s peace like never before. The words that God had spoken to me before the accident brought life in that situation – they were just the words I needed to hear to still the fear and the shock of the situation. As I was sat in the emergency department I almost felt like there was a bubble of protection around me, just stilling me on the inside. I knew then the reality of what God had spoken – that He really was holding me in His hand and that I was safe there.

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Patient Endurance is What You Need Now

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Lanie| 6 Comments

By Faith Rawley

Back in January I started reading through the Bible in a year, so I’m almost close to finishing now – this is something I haven’t done in a number of years but I would highly recommend it!  Because of the amount I have to read every day to keep up I can’t always get into the detail as I normally do when I read the Bible.  But I’ve really enjoyed reading through all the books to get an overview of the Biblical story, in particular how it relates to the Israelite people.  One thing that always stands out to me from their story is how long they had to wait for the Messiah to arrive from the time the promise was given to Abraham to the time when God started to bring those promises to fruition.  In this time of Advent we celebrate the climax of the Israelite story as the promised Christ, whom they’ve been waiting for, finally arrives on the scene.


 

I’m always challenged when I think of how long they had to wait because I know that I can be incredibly inpatient at times, even in the little things of life.  I vividly remember many occasions as I was growing up, finding it impossible to sleep on Christmas Eve because of the excitement of what was to come the following day.  My parents urged me and my brothers not to stay awake so that ‘Father Christmas’ could finish his jobs without being spotted.  After eventually falling to sleep for a couple of hours we would often wake up in the early hours of the morning to open the stocking gifts that had been left at the bottom of our beds.  It would then be a painful wait till we were allowed to come out of our rooms and go downstairs to see what presents had been left under the tree.

I’ve grown out of this somewhat now but I do recognise that the way I approach God’s promises is often very similar – I know that they’re coming but the waiting can seem unbearable at times.  Usually I catch myself thinking that the promises God has given to me must be for ‘now’ and I can’t understand why He would expect me to wait for good things to come along.  My prayers are often shallow and possibly too assuming on the fact that God will give me what I ask for, when I ask for it.  I also live in excitement that Jesus’ return could happen in my time but sometimes this excitement has turned to impatience and disappointment because things don’t seem to be happening.  But as I think about how long the Israelites waited for the Messiah, for their King to come and rescue them out of captivity and to establish His Kingdom in Jerusalem, I remember again that God doesn’t always do things the way we think He will and at the time we think He should do it.

 

We too live in a time of ‘waiting’ – individually we wait to see the promises God has given to us come to fruition.  As the Bride of Christ we wait for the day when we will be once and forever joined with Christ.

 

Hebrews 10:36 (NLT) says, ‘Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will.  Then you will receive all that He has promised.’

 

Patience is what we need now!  I like the phrasing in this version because it helps me to visualise patience as a tool we can pick up and use in time of need, rather than a state of being that I have to achieve to.  In seasons of waiting, patience is the tool God has given to us to be able to withstand the frustration that can often build up.  It’s not a passive state of resignation to how things are but a proactive decision to trust that God knows the times and seasons for everything.

 

Isaiah 40:31 (NASB) says, ‘Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength’.

 

Patience and strength come from waiting on God and fixing our eyes on Him, not looking to see whether circumstances are changing or not.  Staying close to Him and drawing strength from Him helps to keep us in step with His timing and also helps us to not miss out on the fulfilment of promises when they actually come about.

 

As I celebrate Advent this year and await the coming of Christmas, I’m putting the challenge to myself to pick up the tool of patience in areas where I am waiting for God’s coming promises.

 

 

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Family

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Lanie| 8 Comments

By Faith Rawley

I recently had the joy of going to stay with my brother Sam and his wife Anna and their new little baby, Wesley.

They live in St. Louis, Missouri (in America, for those who don’t know) so I don’t get to see them that often.  Ben, my husband, was with us and my second brother Michael.

It was an amazing opportunity of just sharing quality time with each other, getting to catch up on each other’s day to day lives and reminiscing over common, funny memories.  As I spent time with them, I began to appreciate them all afresh and it hit home what a blessing it is to be in ‘Family’.

 

We are all a part of some family, in one way or the other, but no two families are exactly alike.  Families can differ based on size or number of people.  There are different combinations of people, for example, all female or male children or a mixture of both sexes.  Some have more than one set of parents and grandparents, some only have one of these representatives.  Families can live very close in proximity to one another or they can span vast distances.  But each family is unique and there are things to be celebrated in that special collection of people.

 

One thing that strikes me about families is how we share characteristics with each other, no matter how insignificant these may be.  My family all have this ability to pout our lips up so that the top lip touches the nose.  My nine month old nephew, Wesley, has already started to display this feature in his facial expressions, which was really quite fascinating to see.

We do share characteristics and features with each other, whether that’s physical or temperamental or just in terms of the way we do things.  These traits help to identify us as belonging together and distinguish us from other families.

 

I really appreciate the encouragement I receive from the other members of my family, especially my parents, and the belief they have in me, which doesn’t change depending on circumstances.  I think this is because they’ve known me through the good and bad.  They’ve seen my moody, unpleasant moments and they’ve seen me broken hearted and hurt.  But they’ve also seen my times of brilliance and this is why they keep encouraging me even when I don’t see the greatness myself.  They know the potential that’s in me and they want to draw this out.

The thing I love the most about my family is that I feel the most at home when I’m with them, even if we’re not in our physical home.  We moved around quite a lot when I was younger, so our ‘home’ changed quite frequently.  But in each new house that we’ve lived in, the ‘home’ feeling was quickly established because of the people I was with.  It’s their presence and the history that we have that means I can be totally myself with them and not worry what they will think.  They’ll be honest with me if I’m being annoying, or feeling pitiful or just not talking a lot of sense.  But they also let me be silly and funny without laughing at me in a mean way.  There’s a rest in just being able to ‘be’ who I am with them, no pretence.

I know that I am very blessed with my family situation and I’m so thankful for that.  But what I’m even more thankful for is that I’ve been brought into God’s family.

Ephesians 1 tells us – ‘Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.  God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure…….Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,for He chose us in advance, and He makes everything work out according to his plan’.

We don’t really get a choice in who is part of our family but how wonderful it is to know that God chose us, even though he also saw all of the mistakes we’d make and the problems we’d have.  He saw us before we were created, before the world was created even, and He planned to include us into His family.  To make us His children and give us His name.  To share His inheritance with us!

Because we’re part of His family we share characteristics with Him.  We take on His nature and as His Spirit works in our lives we display more features that reflect His nature and personality.  This is how we’re identified as belonging to Him….it still astounds me that He not only wants to associate with me but also wants people to know Him through me.  He has forever connected Himself to me through Christ, and he’s not ashamed of this connection.

This family in Christ is one of ultimate encouragement.  Jeremiah 29:11 says, ‘“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.  “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”’  God has good plans for each one of us and he is committed to seeing these produced in our lives…..so He constantly speaks to us His words of encouragement that produce life and faith if we will receive and believe them.  This family that we have, Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit, are always smiling over us, not frowning, releasing us and approving of us to be who we’ve been made to be.

In this family we can be totally secure and at home.  We can be honest with God and know that nothing we say or do will shock Him or disappoint Him.  I’ve often experienced my Father laughing with me when I do something a bit ‘stupid’ but I know He’s working with me to see the fruit of the Spirit produced in my life.

He allows us to try new things, even it means making mistakes, and He will always be there to pick us up and get us back on track to start again.

In this month of ‘Thankfulness’, I’m giving God thanks for my earthly family but also I’m giving thanks for being part of His family!

 

 

 

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For Everything There is a Season

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Lanie| 6 Comments

By Faith Rawley

At the time of writing this it’s mid-September. Over the last few days the physical world has changed around me quite dramatically. Where there were lush, green trees with blossoming flowers lining the roads and routes I take to work, now I am struck by the array of fiery reds and oranges and warm brown tones that have started to emerge.  We have already had to start clearing up piles of leaves that have dropped from the trees and have been blown outside our front door.  The air last week was warm & humid from the sun’s radiation. Now even though there are still blue skies, the warmth has been replaced with a crisp, refreshing chill.

 

 

 

A part of me is sad at what this change in season means. The more relaxed pace of the summer is taken over by regular commitments and full schedules.  No more sitting outside to soak up the sun enjoying ice creams & cold, refreshing drinks with friends. The flip flops & summer skirts are put away & socks, tights & boots are brought out. I am coming to terms with the fact that I will soon need to start wearing gloves & a scarf when cycling.

But a strange sense of excitement also comes over me as the season changes. The chill in the air reminds me how much I enjoy snuggling up with a blanket on the sofa in the evenings. I look forward to wearing the outfits I haven’t been able to wear since the spring arrived.  Meeting up with friends now involves drinking hot chocolate in coffee shops.  And dare I say it; this season starts the lead up to Christmas!

As I’ve noticed this change all around me I have been struck with how the circumstances of life can cause us to find ourselves transitioning through different seasons spiritually and emotionally as well.  We transition between times of studying and learning to seasons in different jobs.  At other times our focus is looking after family members, either younger or older.  There are seasons in our lives where some relationships and friendships are more prominent and important, then a change in situation can bring along new friends.  We experience the pain and loss of loved ones as well as the joy of new additions to our families.  There are seasons when God is doing very unique, tender and often hidden things in us.  Then there are other times when we see God’s obvious blessing all around us.  At times we find ourselves in situations that seem unjust and we don’t understand why they are happening to us.  Then at other times life seems simple and we feel ‘on top of the world’.

I’m realising afresh that just as God has created seasons in the natural, which are right and necessary for the balance of life, so he has created different seasons and circumstances for us to experience, not to hurt us or damage us in any way, but so that we can learn how to appreciate different aspects of life and maintain balance.  In all the varying seasons of life it’s important to see the positive things those times offer instead of focusing on the negative things that can accompany them.  It’s important not to wish away the times we are in but to make the most of where God has placed us right now.  We can also take heart from the knowledge that seasons inevitably will change so we won’t have to live in more difficult seasons forever.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us, ‘For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven’.  Verse 11 of this chapter says, ‘Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end’.

God has planted beauty and eternity into our very beings, and just as a tree grows and develops over the seasons into a sight of majesty and stature so the beauty and eternity in us has to be unfolded and given time to grow.  The different seasons of our lives allow for this growth so that we can become a reflection of God’s glory and goodness.  It’s often only as we look back that we see how far we have come.

So as I head into this new season I want to learn to be more thankful and content, trusting that God knows what is right for every time in my life.

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Against All Hope

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Abby| 5 Comments

By Faith Rawley

Romans 4:18 – ‘Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations’.

Try and put yourself into Abraham’s shoes for a moment to experience what he must have felt. He was 100 years old and his wife was 90. Over the whole time they had been married they had not produced a single child and were both now past the age of being able to conceive children. God had spoken to Abraham 25 years earlier, when he was 75, and told him that He would make him a great nation. Abraham had been carrying the promise that he would be the father of many nations for a long time already but nothing had changed for 25 years!

Sarah thought that she had the solution and so she gave her servant girl to Abraham and as a result Ishmael was born when Abraham was 86. But this was not what God had in mind. Another 14 years went by and even though Abraham pleaded with God to make Ishmael the son of promise, God had something else in store.

Abraham met with the Lord and again it was said to him that he would bear a child who would inherit the promises of God over Abraham’s life. Sarah was in complete wonderment and disbelief at this possibility. Then after a total of 25 years of carrying that promise, Sarah conceived a child and Isaac was born!

This could just be a nice story that we’ve all heard so many times before, but let’s just realise for a moment that these are real people who had a real situation to face. They also had a real promise and trust in a real God and that made the difference to their situation.

I’m sure that all of us at times seem to face ‘impossible’ situations – hopeless situations where there seems to be no way. We are against all hope! Maybe that situation is illness. Maybe it’s a family member or friend that you really want to see saved or rescued by God. Maybe it’s a financial situation that you can’t see your way out of. Or maybe it’s a dream that you have and you want to see it fulfilled but you’re not sure how it will happen. Whatever the situation the promises of God are certain and steadfast and even if we are carrying them for a long time God is faithful to his word.

I’m really stirred and challenged by the verse in Romans, describing how Abraham handled this deferred hope and promise. He chose to believe in hope against all hope and in the midst of feeling hopeless. I looked up some other words for hope to help to me understand better what Abraham’s action was. Hope can also be translated as ‘expectation’ or ‘confidence’. If we insert those into the verse in place of hope we get: ‘Against all expectation, Abraham believed in expectation!’ ‘Against all confidence, Abraham believed and was confident!’

We have the choice to stay focused in hopeless and lack of expectation or confidence. But instead let us be like Abraham who chose to believe in ‘hope’ itself – to believe in the man Christ Jesus, who is our hope. My prayer in the situations I am facing is the same as my prayer would be for you; that in the midst of hopelessness, failing expectation and lack of confidence God would give you supernatural hope, the ability to expect and the confidence to trust Him. As you hope in Him may the promises he has spoken over you come to fulfilment……regardless of how long it takes.

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Posted in Faith Rawley, Hope, Promises

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