Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Today, let’s be inspired to believe God despite of the odds.

Today’s scripture, Romans 4:16-24 (NLT) says…
[16] So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. [17] That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. [18] Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” [19] And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. [20] Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. [21] He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. [22] And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. [23] And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded [24] for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Consider…
God has shown a propensity for doing impossible things with improbable people throughout the Bible. For example, in today’s scripture Abraham fathered a child at 100 years of age. As miraculous as that is, the time lapse between God’s promise to make Abraham a great nation and actually bringing it to pass was 25 years.

Genesis 12:1-4 (NLT) shares…
[1] The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. [2] I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. [3] I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” [4] So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS OLD when he left Haran.

There’s inspiration in knowing that God’s promises will come to pass, even though it may appear like a dream deferred.

It’s important to remember that God views time differently than us. 2 Peter 3:8 (NLT) tells us…
[8] But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.

So learn from Abraham and never give up on God no matter how long the odds are of His promises coming true.

We can also learn from Father Abraham that God remains faithful to keep His promises even when we show ourselves faithless. I direct you to Genesis 17:18-19 (NLT) which says…
[18] So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!” [19] But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.

Abraham fathered Ishmael with his wife’s servant, Hagar, at the tender age of 87. Both Abraham and Sarah thought they were helping God fulfill His promise. May I encourage you to remember that God is faithful to keep His promises and He doesn’t need your help.

Notice how Abraham’s faithlessness of Ishmael didn’t alter God’s faithfulness of Isaac. This should inspire you not to give up on God fulfilling His promises, even if you mess up.

Another example of God doing the impossible through the improbable is found in Genesis 6:9-14 (NLT), which testifies…
[9] This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. [10] Noah was the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. [11] Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. [12] God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. [13] So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth! [14] “Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior.

Now what makes Noah’s story unfathomable is the fact that He was five hundred years old when he began to build the ark. Genesis 5:32 (NLT) shares…
[32] After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Side note, Noah’s late fatherhood makes Abraham look like a baby at the tender age of 100.

But beyond the miracle of having three sons at such an unexplainable age, this point of reference reveals Noah built the ark over one hundred years. He did this while being ridiculed, because he lived in a desert and it had never rained in Noah’s lifetime.

Yet Genesis 7:5-7 (NLT) attests…
[5] So Noah did everything as the Lord commanded him. [6] Noah was 600 years old when the flood covered the earth. [7] He went on board the boat to escape the flood—he and his wife and his sons and their wives.

Allow Noah to inspire you to remain as 1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV) encourages us…
[58] Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Know that obeying God is never in vain, regardless of how miniscule the odds of seeing His promises come to pass may seem.

One final example today comes from the New Testament. Luke 1:30-38 (NLT) shares the following experience of Jesus’ mother…
[30] “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! [31] You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. [32] He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. [33] And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” [34] Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” [35] The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. [36] What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. [37] For the word of God will never fail.” [38] Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

Imagine Mary’s astonishment that God would deliver the Savior of the world through her, especially since she was a virgin.

Let Mary inspire you to embrace what God wants to birth in you to bless the world. You see, like Mary, when it’s from God, you won’t need human assistance because the Holy Spirit will empower you to fulfill the Lord’s promise.

I hope, Abraham, Noah and Mary inspire you to never give up on God, and to know He will never give up on you. But most of all, I hope they inspire you to know that regardless of how improbable the odds are, HE’S ABLE!

Today’s Song is…
He’s Able

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)