Romans
4:13-18. For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to
Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of
faith.
God’s Promise Realized Through Faith.
My parents raised me to follow the rules. Over the
course of my life, I can recall a handful of times that I purposefully ventured
beyond those well-defined boundaries. I’ll spare you my trip to the
Confessional, but forays into that uncharted territory never turned out well.
Nor has hiking, even with boots center of the trail, exempted me from the
turned ankles, poison ivy, and blisters that accompany any long journey. I have
particularly struggled with complicated relationships in my life. Failures,
disappointments, and broken promises tumble out in confusion with what is right
and good, and from the perspective of whom? I have not found God’s peace in a
debate over rules and acts.
My parents also raised me in the church, as Paul
wrote “inheriting the World through the righteousness of faith.” This path has
not been easy either. When and where does faith show up to bail me out? I have
fallen into the ritual of waking early while the house is quiet. Brooding over
a cup of steaming coffee, I watch each day begin from my bedroom window. Often,
my problems washed over me and I prayed for God’s direction with fruitless and
hopeful repetition. But over many months, my mind has gradually quieted. I can
sit and indulge the moment. Be. Breathe. Setting my own course and believing
that God will direct me in God’s own way and time. This is the promise of
faith.
— Tucker Moodey
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