Against All Odds

Yesterday during praise and worship at church, the Lord dropped a word in my heart: "Speak the things which aren't as though they are." I began to declare things in my life that align with God and His plan for my life, even though I can't see it happening yet. When I got home, I looked up that scripture and found it in Romans.

Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and

calls into being things that were not.

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 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. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. Romans 4:16-24

Since we are called to be imitators of Christ, (1 Corinthians 11:1), and Jesus spoke the words of the Father, (John 12:50), we too should speak what the Father has spoken to us, even when we haven't seen even a trace of it coming to pass. I love in the verse above how it says, "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him." Against all hope! Is there anything that seems to be against all hope in your life? I think about my Dad, and how his physical condition is right now. Looking at his situation logically and pragmatically, it seems that all hope is lost. I suppose Lazarus being dead for four days posed that same perplexing state. I suppose Sarah at the age of 90, well past childbirth years did as well. I guess Naaman and his incurable leprocy adds to the list. And don't forget Shadrach, Mechach and Abednego..and Daniel with those lions...and even Jesus, as he hung, lifeless, on the cross. What do you need to speak today, AS THOUGH IT WERE, even though at the moment it most definitely is not? Let's do it, and see what the Lord will do. Let's provoke the Lord with our faith and watch Him work miracles in areas that we had previously deemed hopeless.