Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Having faith to believe the unbelievable - Genesis 17:17 with a story about a son and his father.


SCRIPTURE: Genesis 17:17 (TM)
Abraham fell flat on his face. And then he laughed, thinking, "Can a hundred-year-old man father a son? And can Sarah, at ninety years, have a baby?"

STORY:
One night a house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee to the roof. The father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to his son, "Jump! I'll catch you." He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see, however, was flame, smoke, and blackness. As can be imagined, he was afraid to leave the roof. His father kept yelling: "Jump! I will catch you." But the boy protested, "Daddy, I can't see you." The father replied, "But I can see you and that's all that matters."

OBSERVATION:
Simply put, faith is believing in the one who can see us. It is not a matter of what we can understand, what we can see, what we can grasp … it is not about us. Faith is a gift … like the father standing on the ground ready to catch his son.

In the midst of life’s turmoil it is comforting to know that God is always present. And, while, those troubling times won’t necessary be eliminating at least we know of the one who stands with us in the middle of it all.

Remember the story of Jesus out in the boat with his disciples when a horrible storm came upon them. The disciples were all afraid, but Jesus slept. Don’t we each desire a Savior who can sleep in the midst of a storm?

With Abraham and Sarah the odds were stacked against them and yet he had the audacity to believe. Okay, he believed only after he nearly knocked himself out laughing at an unbelievable promise. A son in his old age? But all that really mattered was the God believed it. God had faith that it would happen. And if God can believe it, why not Abraham? Why not us? That is what faith is all about!

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, we believe, but help us in our unbelief. Help us to know the reality of faith even when it seems so impossible. 

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