Romans 4:3 says, “…Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Verse 18 says, “Who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken…” Genesis 15:5.

Verse 19 says, “And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.” Consider means to ponder, to think about, and to weigh options. Abraham did not do any of that. He simply trusted God to fulfill His promise.

Verse 20 in the Amplified says that he did not waver in unbelief, “…but grew strong and was empowered by faith AS he gave praise and glory to God.” There is a foundational key for us. Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of His people.

Praising the Lord for Who He is at all times, keeps us on the path of His righteousness. It squeezes out our flesh. It keeps out hearts open to another foundational truth. The Holy Spirit dwells within us.

2 Timothy 2:19 says, “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: The Lord knows those who are His, and Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

Hebrews 4:13 Amplified says, “And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.”

Only the Lord knows hearts. We only know what another is thinking if they tell us. We often fall into error when we assume something. Assumptions are based on what we think we know. When we react in our flesh ~ that is iniquity. 

Our flesh wants to figure things out. Waiting patiently for the Lord’s way to be revealed is a spiritual life skill. It is based on moment by moment hope in His divine orchestration and impeccable timing.

Sarah’s devised plan not only failed, but continues to bear the fruit of those consequences. In spite of this, God had His way. Romans 4 recorded Abraham’s faith, not his giving in to Sarah’s fleshly driven scheme.

We can hope for things in our lives. However, if our focus isn’t on the Lord, we will have broken expectations. Let Psalm 62:5 be an anchoring verse for you. It says, “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.”

Abraham and Sarah didn’t wait for God to fulfill His promise in His set time. They took matters into their own hands. Ishmael was the fruit. Yet the Lord had His way. His promise was fulfilled through Isaac.

Romans 4:17 says, “…God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.” When the Lord gives a promise, it may sound like it is a present happening. Yet as He had a set time for Sarah to conceive, so He has a set time in our lives.

Isaiah 64:4 says, “…who acts for the one who waits for Him.” Isaiah 30:18 says, “Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you…blessed are all those who wait for Him.” Hope must be in God alone ~ not circumstances.

Romans 5:4 follows after the progressive fruit of our trials. Paul wrote that our trials produce perseverance, which produces character, which produces hope. It says, “Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

1 Peter 1:21 says, “Who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” In 1 Corinthians 13:13 we read that our hope is one of the virtues that will abide while we are on this earth.

It says, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” We need faith and hope to persevere throughout trials. However God’s love is eternal. It will be with us forever.

Hope anchors our soul, as our trials are conforming us to His image. Romans 8:24 says, “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?”

Our progressive sanctification is a charted path that will bring us into continual circumstances that He will use to conform us to His image. Verse 29 says, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…”

Conformed. The word always makes me think of a wheel potter. The hard clay has to be mixed with water to soften it. Then the potter has to center the piece on the wheel before it can be shaped. Our trials are divinely orchestrated to center us on the Lord.

He is our Potter. Jeremiah 18:2 says, “Arise and go down to the potter’s house…” Verse 4 says, “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter…” Jesus understands marring. 

Isaiah 52:14 says, “…so His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.” Jesus bore our sins so that we could live with Him forever. Our trials that stop us in our tracks may mar us, but they will never destroy us. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9.

Hebrews 10:12 says, “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.” Verse 14 says, “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”

Verse 23 says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” I love 2 Timothy 2:13. It says, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.”

Romans 8:1 says that there is no condemnation to those who walk according to the Spirit. Verse 2 says, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”

The law could not fulfill the requirement for eternal salvation. That is why the priests had to continually offer up sacrifices. Romans 8:3-4 says, “…He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Galatians 5:16 is a command.

Thank you to the Veteran’s today who fought for our country’s freedom.

Titus 1:2 says, “In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” I want to go back to Hebrews 6:19, picking up the words, “…Presence behind the veil.” When Jesus was forsaken by His Father, Luke 23:44 says, “…there was darkness over all the earth…” for three hours.

Verse 45 says, “Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.” Exodus 26:33 says, “…The veil shall be a divider for you between the holy place and the Most Holy.”

Leviticus 16:2 says that Aaron was not, “…to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat…” Hebrews 9:7 says that the high priest went in once a year alone, “…not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins…”

Verse 13 says, “The Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.” Ephesians 1:20 recorded Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father.

Hebrews 6:13 says that when God made His promise to Abraham, He had to swear by Himself because there is no one greater. Verse 17 uses the words, “…the immutability of His counsel…”

Verse 18 says, “That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.”

Verse 19 says, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil.” I read this account and will share part of it with you.

In 1832 the Hojun-maru, a cargo ship laden with rice and porcelain, left the port of Onuora Japan headed to present day Tokyo. Fourteen months later the ship washed ashore on the coast of Washington state. The Hojun-maru had lost its rudder in a storm. It helplessly drifted 5,000 miles off course.

Hope can’t drift. It anchors us to eternity through the irrefutable resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our anchor is secured in steadfast, unchangeable, and unalterable truth.

True rest comes from walking daily in the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 3:7 says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.” Matthew 15:19 says, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts…”

I want to go back to David. He was tempted. Yet through his thoughts he entered into sin. He tried desperately to cover it all. Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”

Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” 2 Peter 1:3 says, “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him…”

Intimate communion with Him is the pathway. We come to Him instead of leaning on our own understanding. He will impart what we truly need. He knows our heart yet He wants us to pour out all that is troubling us ~ pouring out so we can be filled.

Here is an acrostic to remind us what true rest is.

Releasing

Everything

Simply

Trusting

Burying things that trouble us will come back like a boomerang. Have you ever said things that you wish you hadn’t? Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” 

Unresolved issues continually seep into our thought processes. They escape unexpectedly through our words and actions. Burying emotional pain is man’s way of coping with our past. God’s way is perfect. Psalm 18:30. 

Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” Pour out. Picture a glass of stagnant water. Would you drink it? No, you would pour it out and clean the glass.

Psalm 51 was written by David after his sin with Bathsheba. What did he try to do? Bury his sin through deceit. Verse 10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Confession is God’s way for cleansing. 1 John 1:9.