Sunday, March 1, 2015

Romans 4:13, 20-25

For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants
through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ... No distrust made him waver
concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully
convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith "was reckoned to
him as righteousness." Now the words, "it was reckoned to him," were written not for his sake
alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord
from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our
justification.

The Book of Genesis tells the story of ABRAM and God's covenant to make him a great nation
and how Abram was obedient and complied and left his home not knowing where it would lead
him. In the Gospel of John Jesus says "the wind blows where it chooses and you have no idea
where it comes from or where it is going". You must trust God as to where God will take you. In
the letter to the Romans Paul takes this theme further and says that only by faith does humanity
triumph over wrong. Trust and Faith.
I have grown up hearing these verses, but now I wonder how 20th or 21st Century Christians
live out these teachings in their lives. We know we need to trust God in our choice of career or
in crossing the street or with our health, but how about trusting other humans, what about
trusting our friends.
Thoughtful study brings to my mind a time when my husband, Dick, and I heard that a good
friend had terminal cancer. It was impossible to imagine that this robust man was soon going to
die. What could we say to him? How should we act with him? Then came the face to face
meeting we had feared. Our friend smiled and began to tell how he felt physically, and further
shared words that told us that he had accepted his diagnosis and that whatever came, he would
be alright. We hadn't said a thing. What ever else was said in that conversation I can't
remember, I was so in awe of our friend's peace. Later I was able to define my feelings and write
to him. I thanked him for trusting his friends to be strong enough to hear his words and to be
able to handle the inevitable outcome.
This to me was a modern man TRUSTING. He was trusting his friends to cherish him, trusting
his God to lead him on the path planned out for him, and trusting himself to be able to share that
part of himself with others. Christians are called to do just that, and when we trust, we will find
God is helping us to do it. In Philippians 2:13 we find this: "for it is God who is at work in you,
enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure."
Dear God, maker of all things, we trust in
your goodness and your love of your
creation. You are ever watching, you will
defend those who call on you, you will
keep us from evil, you will preserve our
life, and you will keep your eye on us as
we come and go. You are always near us.
Amen.
J. Webb (From 2002 Devotional)\