Abraham the Father of Faith Doubts

“Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?” (Genesis 17:17, KJV).

God called Abraham when he was 75 years old and promised him a son, which Abraham later believed and God counted it as righteousness to him (Genesis 15:6). However, at the age of about 100 years, Abraham had not yet had the promised child. When God reassured Abraham of the promise that he and his wife Sarah would have a child, the scripture above describes Abraham’s peculiar response.

He fell on his face and laughed! He thought the Lord was probably kidding with him! Notice that even Abraham, the father of faith, doubted God at some point in his life. However, unlike most of us, he did not stay there. Nevertheless, he did also doubt God.

But what happened to bring the patron of our faith to doubt God’s promise? Well, the scriptures do not give us any specific details, but we know that it had been 25 years since the promise was given. During those years, Abraham had endured many circumstances in life that challenged God’s promise. He was about 100 years old, and his wife, who had always been barren, was now 91 years old!

When Abraham heard God again in Genesis 17, his faith was stirred and brought back to life. Have time and circumstances caused you to begin doubting the Word? If so, may your faith spring back to life today just like Abraham’s, as God’s Word comes to you again!

MEDITATE

Can your heart also be attacked by doubt though you had truly believed God? Declare: “I refuse to consider the deadness of any situation that is trying to sneak doubt in my heart.”

APPLY THE WORD

First, realize that doubt might creep into our hearts when circumstances look contrary to what God has spoken to us. Like Abraham, stir up faith in your heart by the Word and stand upon your feet again!

PRAY

Ask the Spirit to strengthen you in faith as Abraham was strengthened so that you will not doubt God when circumstances seem to veer off course.

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