Promise

Devotion by: Tracey Maxwell

Romans 4:13-18, 22

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. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.

For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’ Therefore his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’

In his letter to the Romans, Paul reminds them that Abraham found favor with God by faith alone. In all that Abraham went through, his faith did not waiver. He believed that God had the power to do what he promised. God asks us to have faith, and we will be saved. Pretty simple. He makes a promise, and He will keep it. That promise doesn’t come with many conditions. Just think of the wonderful things the Lord will accomplish through us if we have faith!

Thinking back, I realize that the times in my life that I have accomplished the most are times when someone was there cheering me on, believing in me. Someone who had faith that I could do it, and promised that they would be there through the challenges. One of these people was my Godmother. She was calm, kind and had an amazingly warm smile for me, no matter what. She was the one who came to my baseball games (I played boys’ baseball way back when). She was the one who encouraged me, yet never criticized me. She loved me the way I was. She had faith; and through her, I gained a deeper understanding of the term “unconditional love”.

I am now Godmother to several nieces, nephews, and also to little Charlotte Carbaugh. I chose today’s passage because today is her third birthday. (Happy Birthday, Charlotte!!!) I certainly hope that throughout her life I can be an influence as my Godmother was to me. I hope my actions, words and unconditional love enable her faith in God to grow. I can only imagine the wonderful things this little three-year-old will be able to accomplish with faith in God and His promise to her!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, enable us to grow in our faith in you everyday. Let us be nurtured by those who believe in us so that we will be able to see your glory. Your promise to us is so wonderful. In your name we pray, Amen.