“…the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.” Romans 4:17b
Have you ever looked at your life and thought, “This is hopeless”? Maybe the doctor said there was nothing else they could do or the papers from the lawyer said that the divorce was final. Perhaps the bills were overwhelming and the job went to someone else, again. If you’ve ever had that moment of, “OK, now what?” today’s verse is for you.
Earlier in this passage Paul reminds us of the story of Abraham. God promised Abraham that he would be a father of nations even though to Abraham (and to people he told!) it must have seemed ridiculous. Abraham and his wife were well past childbearing age. It just didn’t make sense. How was this going to work?
But as it says in Romans 4:17, God brings impossible things into being. The ERV translation even describes God as one who “speaks of things that don’t yet exist as if they are real.” We know how the story goes: Abraham became a father of nations, just as God promised. I wonder what his friends said when they heard the news?
Things that are unthinkable for us are not unimaginable to God. That can be hard to get your head around, especially if you’re a planner who likes to know how it’s going to happen. God doesn’t always tell us the how, but He does tell us over and over that we can trust Him. When you feel doubt and worry creep in, lean in to God. As you get to know God better it becomes easier and easier to trust Him, even when you’re starting over from scratch.
Father, You see today and tomorrow and the day after that. You know the things that tear at my heart today. Forgive me for the times I have foolishly tried to carry my own burdens. I give them to You now. Remind me that Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light (Matthew 11:30). When I feel weighed down with “what-if and what-now”, call me back to You. I know that You rejoice over me with singing. Teach me to lean in close so I can hear Your song. Amen
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