The Rhythm of Faith

Albert Bogle February 25, 2018 0 1

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Genesis 17: 1-7

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.

The rhythm of faith is not always easy to keep tuned into. It is seldom constant. It can ebb and flow. We will have days, weeks, months, even years, when we find ourselves believing but entertaining doubts. The experience of holding on to a belief can feel like the experience of a lost phone signal. Living with faith can be like that annoying ‘lost signal feeling’ - knowing that for the past 10 seconds you’ve been speaking to yourself.

If you follow the lives of Sarah and Abraham in the book of Genesis, it would seem that God had been promising them a family of their own for many years. However it didn’t happen until both of them were at the stage in life where childbirth seemed impossible. You might say they had given up. Yet God seemed to rub salt into their wounds by keeping the longing for children alive. I guess the rhythm of faith is God’s relentless gift to us. It won’t let go until grace has completed her work of total dependence on God. Abraham was hoping for a child. God was opening a door of blessing upon all creation. I guess faith is all about perspectives.

Lord,

Should I call back?

We lost the signal 

Now the line is engaged.

Perhaps you’re leaving a message on the answering machine?

Should I listen to the message - 

Or call you back?

Or perhaps I should wait 

Until you call again?

You did say it would happen?

It’s just that time is running out

I want to believe

But I’m afraid

I’ll look silly

I think I’ll wait

I know he’ll call again.