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Romans 4:18 - Relentless Hope.

Romans 4:18 (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."  

Romans 4:18 (NLT) Even when there was no 
reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping"believing 
that he would become the father of many nations. 
For God had said to him, Thats how many 
descendants you will have!  

Romans 4:18 (AMP) [For Abraham, human reason 
for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he 
should become the father of many nations, as he had 
been promised, So [numberless] shall your 
descendants be.  

Romans 4:18 (MSG) When everything was 
hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live 
not on the basis of what he saw he couldn't do 
but on what God said he would do. And so he was 
made father of a multitude of peoples. God 
himself said to him, "You're going to have a big 
family, Abraham!"  

Romans 4:18 (Phillips) Abraham, when hope 
was dead within him, went on hoping in faith  
He relied on the word of God.  

COMMENTARY PEARL

   We have few problems with hope when all 
is going well and the future looks bright. But 
God doesn't normally cultivate our hope in that 
context, does He? No, He lets our hope run into 
obstacles and challenges and contradictions far more 
often than we're comfortable with, stretching us 
to near-breaking point until our hope either 
fades or stands in unrealistic defiance against 
visible circumstances. At times, He even seems to 
oppose our hope Himself, seeing if well hang on 
to what we know to be true about Him, though 
all reason suggests we're wrong. These are the 
fires in which real hope - the kind rooted in 
eternity - is forged. 
   We don't like that process. We aren't 
comfortable with hoping "against all hope" (Romans 4:18, 
NIV) or when there is "no reason visibly 
supporting us. We don't enjoy critics who think we're 
irrational or delusional or naive. Like all human 
beings, we love respect and affirmation. But when 
all the underpinnings for our hope seem to have 
been removed, we don't get much understanding 
from those around us. We can only wait for 
vindication at the end of the promise. 
   That's what Kingdom hope looks like. It's 
rooted in love, the kind that allows us to look at 
our King with complete trust that He will not 
let us down. Without that foundation, hanging on 
to our hope is a hopeless endeavor. But knowing 
who He is - relentlessly clinging to His 
character and goodness and love - puts us on solid 
footing in His Kingdom. We see things that other 
people can't see. We look for evidence of His 
Kingdom coming into dark places. We pray 
persistently for the signs of the Kingdom and the will of 
the King. We hope no matter what. 
   Whatever it takes, cultivate hope in your 
heart. God is never pessimistic about your life; 
neither should you be. See through hope-colored 
lenses. Refuse to listen to any thought that doesn't 
come from the mind of God. Be as stubborn as 
Abraham in waiting for God's promises. Eventually, 
true God-given hope is fulfilled. [The One Year 
Heaven On Earth Devotional by Chris Tiegreen] 

COMMENTARY

What to Do When Your Hope Dies
   How do you know when hope has died in 
your life? You start using the word never. 
Im never going to get married. Im never 
going to graduate. Im never going to get well. 
Im never going to get out of debt. Im never 
going to be able to let go of my past and forget 
all of that shame and heartache. Im never 
going to be able to change. Im never going to 
see this situation turn around. Thats when 
hope has died - when you have reached a dead end 
and dont see a way out. 
   What do you do when your hope dies? 
Romans 4:18 says, Abraham, when hope was dead 
within him, went on hoping in faith  He relied 
on the word of God (Phillips). 
   When you are at a dead end - when its 
hard to hold on to hope - you need the Bible. 
Read it. Study it. Memorize it. Think about it. 
Write it down on little notecards and take them 
wherever you go.  
   The Bible is full of promises, and 
nothing else can encourage you like it can. When you 
rely on the Word and trust in its promises, it 
will revive you emotionally. You wont panic 
because youll be reminded that, even though 
something is out of your control, its not out of 
Gods control. 
   A dead end is a test of your faith. The 
Bible says in Hebrews 11:17, While God was 
testing him, Abraham still trusted in God and his 
promises, and so he offered up his son Isaac (TLB). 
When God said he wanted Abraham to sacrifice his 
son, Abraham didnt blink an eye. He didnt 
panic - because he remembered what God could do. 
He relied on what God had promised him.  
   Sometimes, like it did for Abraham, it 
looks like God wants you to give up your most 
precious dream. Can you offer that to him in faith, 
trusting in Gods deliverance? 
   Maybe youre at a dead end now, and it 
seems there is no way out. Hear this: Things are 
never as bleak as they seem. If you see no way 
out, its because youre looking from a human 
viewpoint, not Gods.  
   Romans 4:20 says, Abraham never 
doubted. He believed God, for his faith and trust 
grew ever stronger, and he praised God for this 
blessing even before it happened (TLB). 
   A promise is only as good as the 
character of the person who makes the promise. The 
Bible says God cannot lie because he is complete 
truth. If he makes a promise to you, hes going 
to fulfill it. It will happen exactly as he has 
said. When youre at your dead end, trust in 
Gods truth. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren: 
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]  

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY

Romans 15:13 - Hope, Joy and Peace are in a 
Relationship with Jesus. 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220922-0820.html 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/