Ever had one of those moments that slap you in the face spiritually? I have.
Sunday I was sitting at church when my pastor asked the question, “Do you believe, do you really truly deep down from the gut level BELIEVE?”
Sitting there in service I began doing a little self examination and I thought to myself, do I really believe? Do I really truly buy into everything God is doing in my life, everything I don’t understand, everything I don’t get, everything I…and then it hit me…everything I doubt. DOUBT. Where doubt exists, there can not exist belief. Polar opposites don’t leave room for the other…you are either one or the other. Not in between.
Romans 4:18 goes like this: “Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping – believing that he would become the father of many nations.”
I love it. Even when there was NO REASON FOR HOPE, ABRAHAM KEPT HOPING. BAM! Right there in black and white. Do I really believe? Nope. Not all the time. Not in every situation. Not like I should. Not like Abraham did. When I think about it too, I don’t believe when I am up against FAR LESS than Abraham was. This guy was promised to be the “Father of Many Nations” and he was nearly a 100 with a wife who was barren. Meaning, there aint no way dude should be having kids. But he hoped even when all earthly hope made no sense. He believed even all logic made no sense.
Verse 19 even says, “And Abrahams faith did not weaken.”
I want that kind of belief. I want that kind of hope. When life throws me a loss, or hurt, or bad report from the doctor, or pain, or anything that would shake my faith I want THAT kind of belief. That level of Abraham belief. So the next time what I see in the natural tries to shake what I know to be true, I am going to stand on this verse and muster up as much hope as I can find, as much belief as I can stir up and really,truly,deep down from the gut level BELIEVE.
-Carlos