Being fully persuaded

“Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.” Romans 4:20-21
Paul, in writing to the church at Rome, uses the account of Abraham as a detailed example of what it means to live by faith. Here was a man, who at the age of 75, had no children. Yet God met with him and gave him a promise that he would have a son, and through that son would become the father of many nations – and even changed his name to mean this (see Gen. 17:5). What God didn’t tell Abraham at the time, was that it would be another 24 years before his son Isaac was to be born.
Most of us, if we had been in Abraham’s shoes, would have had great difficulty accepting what God was telling us. Certainly Sarah, Abraham’s wife, did (Gen. 18:10-15). She laughed in incredulity that she might one day, at the age of ninety, become a mother after she had been barren for her whole life. Abraham had laughed too (Gen. 17:17), but this was laughing in joy at the promise of God.
Abraham’s faith was based on the knowledge that God keeps His promises. The promise of a son was an encouragement to him, and an opportunity for him to see God’s power at work. The promise was not something that he found impossible to believe.
We need to have this same kind of faith. Think about the things God has promised us, in His Word. He has promised that He will return, to take us to be with Him forever (John 14:3). He has promised to be with us always, and to give us victory (Matt. 28:20, Heb. 13:5, 1 Cor. 15:57). He has promised to make everything in our lives work out for good (Rom. 8:28). Do you doubt these promises? Or do you, like Abraham, embrace them and watch eagerly for their fulfilment? Have you been fully persuaded that God has power to do what He has promised?