Romans 4:18-22 (NIV) 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.”
There will be times in your life when you have to hope and believe God will do what He said He will do, even when your circumstances scream at you the contrary. That is Hoping Against Hope.
What does Hope Against Hope mean? It means to have hope even when the situation appears to be hopeless. To hope very strongly that something will happen, although you know it is not very likely.
Abraham became our example of how to operate by faith when he believed the promise of God amid impossibility. God promised him that he would be the father of many nations and that through his seed the whole world would one day be blessed. He received this promise at 75 years of age. His wife, who had never been able to have children, was 65. This promise was impossible and yet, in 25 years, it came to pass.
The Bible tells us how Abraham had hope in the face of impossibility. First, what was the impossibility? Both he, and Sarah, were too old to have children. Their descendants cannot bless the whole world if they do not have any. Sarah was barren, she could not have children. She could never have children. Abraham, at one time was fertile. He fathered Ishmael by Hagar, Sarah’s servant. However, we read in Romans that, at the time of the fulfilment of the promise, Abraham’s body was dead.
In the face of all this impossibility, Abraham still believed in the promise of God.
Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NLT) Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.
In his book, Get Out of the Boat, Reginald T. Steele’s writes: “A boat mentality is a mental condition that only functions in logic. A person who has a ‘boat mentality’ always wants to play it safe; rarely taking a risk that is beyond their own comprehension. They want to remain in the boat, because the level of risk is comfortable. Rarely do people with a ‘boat mentality’ remain in uncomfortable situations; they would rather stay in the boat and be a ‘boat talker,’ but never a water walker.”
Hope refuses to doubt but trusts in God’s promises, even when no way of fulfilment is humanly imaginable.
Because of his faith, God delivered on the promise to Abraham. He came through and gave them a son. They had a son named Isaac through whom a nation was born. In God’s own way and timing, He fulfilled his promise to Abraham.
We must believe and remember that we are not without hope. No matter what is stacked against us, no matter what our heart whispers, we are not without hope.