“Abraham didn’t weaken. Through faith he regarded the facts: His body was already as good as dead now that he was about a hundred years old, and Sarah was unable to have children” (Romans 4:19 GW).
The translation quoted above reveals an important nuance in Abraham’s response that we would do well to consider: Abraham faced the facts concerning his physical limitations and those of his wife. In other words, Abraham accepted the reality of his situation and placed his trust in God and His ability to overcome those limitations.
The ability to confront the realities of life with an attitude of honesty is a virtue worth seeking in prayer. This is especially true in an era dominated by “deepfake” imagery, staged video presentations, and artificially generated content. In fact, we might argue that truth is one of our most valuable assets with respect to ourselves, our interactions with others, and the world around us. This passage thus offers a pattern to follow: Abraham faced the truth of his situation with honesty in choosing to believe God for His promises.
One author’s perspective helps us gain a greater appreciation for this aspect of Abraham’s faith…
“…Abraham looked at the facts. He faced them head-on. He considered his dead body and the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. He sat and thought about it, and he saw how hopeless the situation was. There was no chance at all! His body was a hundred years old and Sarah’s womb was ninety years old and had never borne children. She was far past the age of childbearing. It was hopeless.
There was no hope, yet Abraham believed in hope. How? Because when he looked at his dead body he remembered that he had a God who raises the dead. And when he thought about Sarah’s barren womb, he remembered that he had a God who calls into existence the things that do not exist. That would take care of everything, wouldn’t it? And so, against all hope, he believed in hope, because of the God in whom his faith was fixed.” (1)
So, in speaking of the physical challenges that seemingly made it impossible for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham, an author from an earlier generation offers the following insight…
“…the R.V. says that he looked them all quietly in the face, as though taking into account all their significance and force. Then he looked to the promise; and after balancing one against the other, he decided absolutely and confidently that the Word of God must stand, however great and forbidding the difficulties in the way. He was fully persuaded that what God had promised he was able to perform. (2)
(1) Excerpted with permission from The Faith of our Father © 1976 by Ray Stedman Ministries. All rights reserved. Visit www.RayStedman.org for the complete library of Ray Stedman material. Please direct any questions to webmaster@RayStedman.org. https://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/romans/the-faith-of-our-father
(2) Romans 4 – F.B. Meyer’s “Through the Bible” commentary – StudyLight.org. (n.d.). https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/fbm/romans-4.html