From this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. Hebrews 11:12 (NIV)
When God told Abraham, “You will be the Father of many nations” (Gen. 17:4-5), he might have responded: “I can do that.”
Some people have the idea that faith is basically positive thinking—believing in yourself or telling yourself, “I can do it.” But the Bible says precisely the opposite.
Abraham “faced the fact that his body was as good as dead” (Rom. 4:19). Faith is not escapism. Faith is not retreating into a spiritual world to protect yourself from the painful realities of life. Faith brings you face-to-face with the realities of life.
There are many ways of avoiding reality. Some people escape through entertainment—movies, video games, or music—a few hours of relief from the harshness of the real world. Others avoid reality through drinking or drugs, or by earning or spending money. Abraham didn’t avoid reality. He faced the fact that what God had said was beyond him.
God called Abraham to something that he could not do, and Abraham faced the facts. Faith recognizes reality, and as soon as you have faith, you will see that what God is calling you to do is beyond you as well.
Where are you exercising faith by facing reality? Where might you be trying to avoid reality?
