“And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb” (Romans 4:19).
From a human perspective, Abraham’s situation was seemingly beyond hope. But Abraham did not place his trust in human capability or potential. Instead, Abraham invested his faith in God’s ability to fulfill His agenda.
In a sense, Abraham had to weigh two pieces of testimony. One piece of testimony involved his advanced physical age and that of his wife. That placed them well beyond their normal childbearing years. The other piece of testimony was offered by the all-powerful God who vowed to provide him with a biological son to serve as his heir. When viewed from this perspective, Abraham wisely chose to place his faith in the God who could bring His promises to fruition.
Of course, Abraham is not the only Biblical personality who exhibited this type of faith. For instance, many are familiar with the Biblical account of Jesus’ birth, but how many stop to consider the faith exhibited by Jesus’ mother, Mary, and His adoptive father, Joseph? For instance, God dispatched an angelic representative to visit Mary with the following message…
“…’Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.’ …Mary asked the angel, ‘How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?’ The angel replied to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God'” (Luke 1:30-31, 34-35 CSB).
Mary’s response to that announcement tells us that she possessed the same type of faith her ancestor Abraham exhibited…
“‘See, I am the Lord’s servant,’ said Mary. ‘May it happen to me as you have said’…” (Luke 1:38 CSB).
Later, we learn of Joseph’s reaction to the news of Mary’s pregnancy…
“Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.’
…Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus” (Matthew 1:19-20, 24-25).
These faithful role models thus provide us with the right example to follow in our relationship with God.