06/03/2026
A Devotion for Wednesday, June 3rd. Please read Romans 4:13–25 (the Epistle Reading for this Sunday)
Good Morning! In our reading from Romans, Paul directs our attention to Abraham and the promise God made to him. Abraham is one of the great examples of faith in Scripture, not because he was perfect, but because he trusted in the promises of God even when those promises seemed impossible.
Paul reminds us that the promise given to Abraham did not come through the Law but through faith. God promised that Abraham would become the father of many nations, yet there was every reason to doubt. Abraham and Sarah were well beyond the age when they could expect to have children. Humanly speaking, the situation was hopeless.
Yet Paul writes, “In hope he believed against hope.” Abraham looked beyond his circumstances and trusted the One who made the promise. His faith was not rooted in his own strength or understanding but in the faithfulness of God. As Paul says, Abraham was “fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised.”
This is an important reminder for us. Faith is not confidence in ourselves. Faith is confidence in God and His Word. The strength of faith is not measured by how strongly we feel but by the One in whom we trust. Even when circumstances seem uncertain, God's promises remain certain.
Paul then explains that Abraham’s faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” In other words, Abraham was declared righteous before God not because of his works, achievements, or obedience, but because he trusted God's promise. This has always been the way of salvation. Sinners are justified by grace through faith.
And this promise extends beyond Abraham. Paul says that these words “were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also.” Just as righteousness was credited to Abraham through faith, so it is credited to all who believe in the God who raised Jesus from the dead.
This brings us to the heart of the Gospel. Paul writes that Jesus “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” Christ was handed over to death because of our sins. On the cross, He bore the judgment that we deserved. And His resurrection is God's declaration that the work is complete, that sin has been paid for, and that forgiveness is won.
Like Abraham, we live by faith in God's promises. We trust in the crucified and risen Christ, who has done everything necessary for our salvation.
Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of faith and for the promises You have fulfilled in Your Son. Strengthen our trust in Christ, that we may rest confidently in the forgiveness and righteousness He has won for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
