Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Tuesday August 21, 2007

Just about all of Romans 4 talks about the faith of Abraham and God's promise to him concerning the unlikely birth of Isaac, the seed of promise. I assume your familiarity with the story. An old man and woman live in the hope of a son. They try at least one natural remedy which does not work out, and they are left at 100 years of age with nothing but God's supernatural promise.

Romans 4:18 sums it up this way, "Who (Abraham) against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be."

The first hope is based on a natural solution, when that did not materialize, Abraham resorted to hoping in the supernatural one. He based this hope on the direct word from God concerning this. In God's time Sarah conceived and Isaac the child of promise was born, the near perfect Old Testament type of Christ.

You are most probably thinking, how does this apply to me? It helps you to sort through some of the really tough situations in life. It is right to depend on a purely supernatural solution only when you have a clear word from the Lord. This does not mean a misappropriation of some obscure verse in the Bible. Nor does it mean, "I just feel in my heart" constitutes a black and white promise from the Lord.

When we pray we must be ready to accept the means God's uses to answer the prayer.

Dr. Tom Wallace has told a story for years of a man who was warned that a flood was coming. The man, refusing to evacuate told people, "God will deliver me." The flood waters came rushing into the valley and soon the man was sitting on the roof of his house. A fireman offered to throw a lifeline to him, but the man refused saying, "God will deliver me." Later a rescue worker pulled up along the side the roof and said, "Get in the boat." Our hero of faith refused stating, "God will deliver me." The water was continuing to rise and soon even the roof was almost submerged when a National Guard helicopter hovered overhead and let down a rescue chair and ordered the man to get into the chair. Our faithful stalwart shouted, "No! God will deliver me." The man drowned when the house was washed over a falls just south of town. But all was not lost, for the man, a Christian awoke just inside the Pearly Gates. During the course of getting acclimated He did meet God, face to face and he immediately asked, "How come you did not deliver me?" God answered, "You imbecile, I sent a fireman, a water rescue team and a helicopter!" Before you write to me, I assure that I think "imbecile" is more Godlike than "jerk."

As a student of the Bible I know that God often uses trouble to teach me, to strengthen me and to cause others to see my struggle and know that God is sustaining me. As a man, I mostly pray, "Dear Lord, you know all the painful things that are coming my way. Please stop them before they get anywhere near me." I should live so long!

Alexander Dumas, excon and author of "The Count Of Monte Cristo" wrote, "All human wisdom is summed up in two words; wait and hope."

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2007 Use with credit.

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