The Ordinary

Romans 4 He (Abraham) did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.

I love these verses. They contain so much truth that you could teach, preach and disciple for weeks on end just from these verses.

Abraham had been promised a child from the Lord. A legitimate child from his marriage to Sarah. So, what are the chances that a one hundred year old man and a postmenopausal woman will conceive?

Not very good.

But when God steps into our lives He takes up all of our limited resources and He breathes into us the power that created this world and raised Jesus from the dead. And our lives become a living creature. A walking, breathing miracle.

As I was reading these verses I began thinking about the way in which Jesus stepped into my own life and that weekend that completely changed my direction. I remembered the Monday morning when I came back to work and announced to my friends that I had met the Lord over the weekend and He had told me what was to come in the future for me, how I would become a nurse and how my life would be changed and that I would travel to Israel and He would provide a place for me there. I remember looking at their faces, mouths open in disbelief, right before the quiet turned to laughter. They thought I was joking. Or crazy.

But they were considering the flesh. And the flesh wasn't doing so good.

The flesh was a high school drop out. A teenage pregnancy out of wedlock. A couple of failed relationships. An addiction. I was a person who had never been on an airplane and rarely had acknowledged the existence of God. And I won't lie to you now. It has been a long and difficult road. I still live in this flesh. It has been a mixture of success and failure; struggle and triumph; blood, sweat and tears along with a few temper tantrums. And when I attempt it in my own strength it is an impossible disaster.

But living on the inside of me is the Holy Spirit; the exact replica of Jesus Christ and God Almighty. He is the essence of the power that raises the dead. And when I consider my own body, as good as dead....I consider Him. I trust Him. I believe in Him.

Every time I falter He is there to encourage me to try again. When I take a step of faith He becomes firm ground under my feet. In times of difficulty whether it was going to court to regain custody of my children, finding the courage to take the GED, needing strength to work full time and go to college at night, the excitement of applying for a passport, the feeling of accomplishment speaking at my college graduation, telling of His faithfulness in every circumstance... In every trial He is there because He is faithful to do what He has promised. I have no faith in my own abilities but I am fully convinced that God will complete what he has begun. In me.

We are the pinnacle of God's creation but aside from Him we are powerless. He brings the extra to the ordinary. He wants to do extraordinary things in each of us because He is an extraordinary God. Wherever you are. Whatever you've done. He wants to give you a kingdom inheritance.

He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body...or Sarah's. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God...he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised.

That is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness. But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in Him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Amen? Amen Lord. We count You as faithful and true. Lord remind us who we are. We are YOUR children. We are the KING'S children. We have a kingdom inheritance sealed in the heavens that never fades away. The power of YOUR life lives in each of us who call on Your name. The power that enables men to walk on water, heal the sick and raise the dead lives within our very bodies. Rise, O Lord, and shine. Reveal Your glory to us. Lord help our unbelief and increase our faith in YOU.