Trusting like Abraham
Reflections on Romans 4:1-25
“And when God counted him righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.” Romans 4:23-25
Think back on your life experiences what people stand out in your mind? Who has been at the right place at the right time for you? Who said the right word when you needed to hear or a hug when you needed to feel loved? Who encouraged you when life events seemed to break you down and which words still ring in your ears that gave you strength?
The people that come to mind maybe your parents or friends who believed in you, when you didn’t believe in yourself. It could have been a teacher who saw you struggling with a problem and cared enough to give you extra time to develop your conclusion. It could have been a person who you knew briefly, which said “Under no circumstances that you should pursue a certain career” and you gave more effort to that goal. There have been personalities who seemed to discourage you, but were secretly hoping you would prevail.
Abraham was a fine example of faith. He lived in a far-off place and was asked by God to trust him by moving to a land he promised his family. At this time Abraham had no children and was in advanced age, his wife was past childbearing years. There were no Ten Commandments to follow, only the promise to trust God. Yet he believed God and became a great nation is known today as Israel. Abraham was not a perfect person, but he was righteous because God made Abraham right with him.
The life of a faithful person is loaded with struggles and “potholes” of life. When we feel dark times, God brings people into our lives to show us the dawning light. We look at the lives of other people and feel “they have it all”, then discover they struggle just like you do. We feel that God is cruel at times, then discover that the struggles we encountered was the love we needed to have from God. When we feel the lowest in our life, God brings us to the top to show what is over the horizon that will fill our hearts with joy.
Just as God made Abraham right with him, he brings us into a right relationship as well. At first, we may not believe that God cares for us, then realize all the people who have helped us in life were working to bring us to see his love. We may have felt that God abandon us to our own doubts and despair, then realize that his Spirit was guiding us although life. When the burdens of our life choices seem to draw us away from God’s presence, we realize that God was making all things right with him; by Jesus’ death on a cross and victory over death.
So God has made us right with him because we trusted and believe that Jesus paid the price for our salvation. No one has earned this relationship with God, it is a free gift because you believed and trusted like Abraham.
Dear Lord, you make all things new with me through your constant inspiration of people in my life. Thank you for encouraging me when I would have given up. Send me to others with your word of hope and comfort. Amen.