Question: My wife and I have been praying for the salvation of our children for more than twenty-five years, and there is no sign that God has even heard those prayers. I know He loves our family, but I'm quite discouraged. Can you tell us anything that will jump-start our faith again?
Answer: I do have an encouraging word for you and others who have asked the Lord for a miracle that hasn't yet come. It is found in one of my favorite Scriptures located in the book of Genesis. You'll remember that when Abraham was seventy-five years of age he began receiving promises from God that he would become the father of a great nation and that in him, all the nations of the world would be blessed. That was great news to an aging man and his barren wife, Sarah, who longed to be a mother.
Yet these exciting promises were followed by Sarah's continued infertility and many years of silence from God. What she and Abraham faced at this point was a classic case of "God contradicting God." The Lord hadn't honored His word or explained His delay. The facts didn't add up. The pieces didn't fit. Sarah had gone through menopause, effectively ending her hope of motherhood. By then, she and her husband were old, and we can assume that their sexual passion had diminished. There was no realistic probability that they were to be given an heir.
Abraham's response at that discouraging moment was described nearly two thousand years later in the writings of the apostle Paul. These are the inspirational words that he wrote:
Without weakening in his faith, [Abraham] faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." (Romans 4:19-22)
In other words, Abraham believed God even when He made no sense. The facts clearly said, "It is impossible for this thing to happen." The Lord had made "empty promises" for nearly twenty-five years, and still there was no sign of their fulfillment. Unanswered questions and troubling contradictions swirled through the air. Nevertheless, Abraham "did not waver through unbelief." Why? Because he was convinced that God could transcend reason and factual evidence. And this is why he is called the "father of our faith."
Isn't that a wonderful example of faith under fire? It should give us courage to retain our spiritual confidence even when the pieces don't fit. Remember that with God, even when nothing is happening, something is happening. And if we don't waver, someday we'll understand, and "it will be credited to [us] as righteousness" for our faithfulness.
Stay on your knees. And hang on to your faith like a life preserver! The Lord is at work in the lives of your children, even though you see no evidence of it at the moment.
Book: The The Complete Marriage and Family Home Reference Guide
By Dr. James Dobson