Hoping Against Hope

My latest sermon on based on Romans 4:13-25.
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Abraham had faith. He was not one who demanded miracles, signs and wonders. He had faith in God before he trusted God. God made promises to Abraham - HUGE promises. God said, “this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of a multitude of nations.” The problem with the covenant - Abraham didn’t have any children. This would be hard to believe for a young guy in his 20’s but Abraham was 99 and without even one child when this promise of having descendants was made to him. At Abraham’s age, he should be worried about heart disease, cancer or Medicare changes. He should not be concerned with conceiving a child. Let’s not forget about his wife, Sarah, who was barren and past childbearing age too. She too should be worried about the issues of aging, maybe Botox or a face lift. Yet, these two hoped against hope for the promise to be fulfilled.

God also promises Abraham saying, “To your descendants I give this land.” Abraham placed hope in God who promised many things to him. For this promise to be fulfilled Abraham not only needed a child but also land. Abraham hoped against hope that these things would come true.

How often do I hope against hope? Many times it is hard to trust promises. We are living in an age where promises are frequently broken and where hope can be hard to come by. What do we place our hope in? Are we hoping for an unexpected scholarship to pay the bills, hoping for a sunny warm day when we can set homework aside for a few hours and relax? Are we hoping for a miracle drug to cure a loved one? I must admit I am hoping against hope for all of these things.

For years my cousin Zack’s health problems were misdiagnosed. Finally, at age 5 his condition was correctly identified as Autism. His parents, my aunt and uncle did not know what to think. They had no clue what Autism was or what this diagnosis meant. Their immediate thought was that of hope. The hope that he would get better one day, somehow. The thought process was we’ll get him the right therapy and use medication if we must, but he’ll get better.

As he got older, we realized the implications of Zack’s condition. He understands and responds to words, but he cannot use these words for his own communication. He cannot verbally tell others he wants a cheeseburger instead of chocolate pudding or that he wants to swim instead of swing. He doesn’t respond to physical contact like you and I do. Zack is more content ripping a telephone book into strips than being held or cuddled.

Because of the late diagnosis, Zack missed what is commonly known as the ‘learning window’. However, the doctors say that he can learn a skill for the workplace. So now he is learning how to fold sheets, towels and washcloths so that he can one day work at a hotel in housekeeping.

Zack’s dad has tried every treatment he can find, hoping against hope that something will work. Hoping that one-day Zack will begin to speak and be nurtured by the love and affection he receives. My uncle frequently looks through multiple search engines for the latest information and medical breakthroughs.

I remember learning about one of these breakthroughs while I was in college. A drug that would normally be used for another illness was prescribed for an autistic child. While normally not intended for treating autism, this drug worked a miracle for the autistic boy. Within days of taking the medication, the 10 year old boy began to speak and all the symptoms of autism were gone. The wall of silence crumbled and blank stares were shattered with smiles. My uncle found this drug available through an Internet pharmacy operating in England. He bought drug and gave it to Zack hoping against hope that the same results would occur.

Unlike Zack’s experience, Abraham had promises to hope in. Abraham had a promise from God. From a world as Abraham knew it, the deck was stacked against God’s promises. Abraham had promises from God. The promises that God makes, God keeps.

My families hope against hope comes in a different form for Zack. I can’t hope in a promise of Zack being healed from autism. God has made no such promise. The drugs from England provided some positive behavioral modification, but Zack still lives with autism.

The hope in the promise of healing from the English drugs is not the same hope in a promises made by God.

We talk about promises, but what promises does God make to you and me and Zack?

We are promised that God will be with us in all circumstances, near to us, dear to us, at our side. As God was with Abraham, so God continues with us in Christ. There is nothing we have done or could do to deserve this gift.

We are promised that in Christ we shall live forever with Christ, that we shall never die, that Christ conquered death and that we shall live eternally with God. We did nothing to earn or deserve eternal life with God.

Like us, Abraham didn’t earn what was promised, but thanks be to God that the fulfillment of the promise didn’t depend on the works of Abraham. We remember and celebrate the promise given to Abraham and Sarah still because of the ever faithfulness of God’s word. And it is this word, this promise from God, in which we hope against hope.