“The faith of Abraham…Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations” (Romans 4:16, 18).

Paul speaks of the tremendous faith Abraham had in the Lord. God promised Abraham that through his seed many blessings would come (Genesis 12). As an old man, Abraham still believed, and God brought to him Isaac, which means “Laughter.” To illustrate the faith of Abraham, Paul employs an oxymoron. This is a figure of speech in which contradictory ideas are combined to produce a strong statement, such as “thunderous silence, sweet sorrow, and absolutely unsure.” We smile at these figures of speech, but what a wonderful oxymoron for us all when Abraham against hope still believed in hope! I want to be known for such faith in the Lord.

For today: What will be said of us someday? We too believe in the One who does the impossible!