Verses 22-24 in The Message transliteration summarize the thrust of this chapter, and to make meaningful, I personalized it. Read these verses out loud with your name. This is the truth of the gospel living in us through faith.

I didn’t tiptoe around God’s promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. I plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what He had said. That’s why it is said, “Your Name was declared fit before God by trusting God to set him/her right.” But it’s not just Your Name; it’s all of us who believe!

My chart of the information in Romans 4:13-25:

GOD’S PROMISE	THE LAW	FAITH	GOD
To Abraham: “You will be the father of many nations, and your heir (Jesus Christ) will be given dominion over the whole world.” (13)	Provokes punishment (15)	Abraham is not our racial faither, but our faith father. (16)	God is fully able to do what He has promised. (21)
To Us: “If you believe in me, have faith, the Lord clears your record of sin.” (7-8)	Where no law exists, there cannot be a violation of the law. (15)	Faith is believing in God, trusting Him, and having hope because of His promise. (18)	“God counted Abraham as righteous, not because he upheld the law, but because he never stopped believing in God’s promise.”(24-25) (NLT)
God’s promise is a pure gift to us (His action) & is not based on our actions. It is NOT a business contract based on our ability to fulfill the law. (13-15)	It’s NOT possible for humanity to fully obey the law. (13-15)	Faith does not depend on our dircumstance, but is what we live in despite our circumstance. Abraham is our example in faith-living. (17-19)
We receive the gift of God’s promise by faith, by trusting God and His way; embracing Him and what He does. (16)	If keeping the law earns the promise, then faith is robbed of its power, and the promise becomes useless. (14)	Faith focuses on God, not our own impotence. (19-25)

As I read these verses, I found myself singing an old hymn, “Just a Closer Walk with Thee.” These lyrics are God’s words to me.

“I am weak but Thou art strong
Jesus keep me from all wrong
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Chorus:
Just a closer walk with Thee
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea
Daily walking close to Thee
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
When my feeble life is o’er
Time for me will be no more
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy shore, dear Lord to Thy shore.”

God has me by the hand as I climb the sand dunes, fall into dark crevaces, or run in the sand–and He brings me safely to His Shore.

These verses reminded me that my parents taught me about God’s promise, they modeled living in faith, and encouraged me to establish my own relationship with God. I can still hear their voices harmonizing as they sang “Just a Closer Walk with Thee.” Thank you, Heavenly Father, for placing me in this loving family.

What was your picture? Did you have a song that you found youself humming? Share with me at KSEvenhousewwv@gmail.com.