Dear Christian friends:

Sometimes one of you will say to me, "It's not fun to be old." Old age and the problems of the elderly are one of the unpleasant realities of this life on earth. There are many other bad things that happen to us because we live in a fallen, sinful world. These unpleasant things can happen to us at any age or time.

The question we must ask this morning is this: How do Christians deal with these unpleasant realities of life? Trusting the promises of God is the only answer to that question. The example of Abraham in our text shows that. It shows


When these unpleasant things of life happen to us we often see no way out. The situation seems hopeless.

Abraham's situation seemed hopeless. God had promised him a son and that he would be the father of many nations. But Abraham had no children although he had been married for many years. Our text says that Abraham "faced the fact that his body was as good as dead - since he was almost 100 years old - and that Sarah's womb was also dead." (verse 19) How could Abraham and Sarah have a baby? How could Abraham be the father of many nations as God had promised? Abraham's situation seemed hopeless and God seemed to be a liar.

In the past history God's people often have found themselves in such hopeless situations: Israel at the Red Sea pursued by Pharaoh's mighty army, David facing the giant, Goliath, the 12 disciples caught in a terrible storm on the Sea of Galilee, and many others.

I remember the hopeless situation of Dr. John L. Salvner, one of the first Lutheran missionaries to the deaf. After preaching only one year he became ill with T.B. His doctor told him to quit preaching and leave Minneapolis, and go home to his parents in Saginaw, Michigan. Salvner's doctor said that he had only six more months and then he would die.

Your own situation today may seem hopeless. Perhaps your marriage is failing. Perhaps your best friend has betrayed you. Perhaps your health is failing you and the doctor cannot help you any more. Last Wednesday I went to the Sunset Manor Convalescent Hospital in El Monte, to have a service for the deaf there. Seven came to the service, all sitting in wheel chairs. I'm sure that they feel that their situation is hopeless. I am sure that all feel as Mrs. E. Burgess who is not happy there and wants to come back to her home at Pilgrim Tower.

These hopeless situations in our life can frighten us and lead us to despair. However, we must not forget that our kind Father in heaven helps us to deal with these situations in a victorious way.

Our Father gives us faith and trust in His Word and promises to face the unpleasant realities of this life on earth.

His faith and trust in God's promises helped Abraham to live in the real world. Abraham continued to believe God's promise and trusted God although his situation seemed hopeless. (verses 18-21)

Faith in God's promises will help you and me to accept the unpleasant realities of this fallen, sinful world.

God has given many personal promises to you and to me. He promises to forgive all our sins in Jesus' name. He promises to help us in time of trouble. He promises to give us strength to endure trouble and suffering. He promises us a new home and a new world in heaven above. He promises that all things happen for our soul's good, even the "bad" things happen for our final salvation.

Therefore, let us not doubt or fear or despair in time of trouble, but let us continue to believe God's Word and His promises the same as Abraham did. Let our hope never die! Let us not doubt God's wonderful promises about our arising from death with a new and glorious body to live forever in heaven's glory! Although it may seem that God has forgotten us and has forsaken us, He has not! He really loves us and saves us through His Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior.

If we trust God in Jesus Christ, we have victory in the unpleasant realities of life, and more, we receive certain blessings. Faith in God's promises in Christ brings wonderful blessings into our lives.

God blessed Abraham because he believed and did not doubt. God judged Abraham same as a righteous, holy man! (verse 22) Abraham was justified by his faith, not by his works. God forgave all his sins and gave him perfect holiness with which to stand on the Judgement Day. Also God gave him a son when he was 100 years old. His wife, Sarah, conceived and gave birth to baby Isaac when she was over 90 years old!

Your faith, also, will bring you blessings. By your faith in Jesus God judges you holy, without one sin. You become a son or daughter of Abraham through your faith in Jesus. Abraham is the father of many nations, not just the Jewish nation! People of all nations who believe in Jesus are Abraham's children! (verse 23-25) Salvner did not despair when his doctor told him that he would die in six months. He prayed to God. God let him live 60 more years until he was 84 years old.

Abraham's faith is the faith we need to live with victory!

Amen.