"As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not." (Romans 4:17)

For seventeen years, my husband and I were childless. It was a quiet reality we just couldn't seem to escape. I still remember sitting in a job interview once, a whole panel of people across the table, when someone casually asked how many kids we had. And there it was again—that flicker of pity as I explained we didn't have any. Or at least, that's exactly how it felt.

Having a family is such an ordinary part of life that most people take it completely for granted. Maybe that's why I love Abraham's story so much. He carried the ache of childlessness for seventy-five years before God ever promised he'd be a father.

But the promise wasn't just a son. It was so much bigger—the whole world would be blessed through him and his family line (Genesis 12:2-3). Ultimately, it all pointed to Jesus. And here's the part we tend to skip right over: even after the promise, Abraham and Sarah still had to wait twenty-five more years.

Can you imagine? A quarter of a century holding onto a promise before you catch even a glimpse of it coming true. That's the hardest thing about promises received by faith (Romans 4:16). We know they're guaranteed. But when they don't show up right away, it gets so easy to start questioning God in the silence.

Romans 4:17 shows us how Abraham survived the wait. He believed the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

Ponder that. God calls things that don't yet exist as though they're already here.

He started calling Abraham a father long before there was ever a child. He even changed his name from Abram to Abraham—"Father of Many"—while the man was still completely childless. God spoke something over Abraham that wasn't visible yet, as if it had already happened.

It's counterintuitive to us, but it's simply how God operates. He speaks in line with His own creative power. You see the pattern woven all through Scripture:

• He spoke the world into being. Everything was formless and dark until God said, "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:1-3).

• To the serpent, He spoke of a coming Savior who would crush him (Genesis 3:15).

• To Isaiah, He spoke of a virgin who would conceive a son named Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14).

• To Mary, He spoke the promise that she'd carry the One who would save His people (Matthew 1:21).

• And John tells us the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us (John 1:14).

God's plan was locked in from the very beginning (1 Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8). His creative power flows through words that breathe life into dead places.

Now, let's be clear—this isn't a formula or a magic trick. You can't just "speak life" and force God's hand. It's about lining up your own heart and words with the truth God has already declared.

When Abraham called himself "Father of Many," he wasn't in denial about his situation. He was choosing to agree with God's truth over his circumstances.

What if we did the same?

What if we started describing ourselves the way God describes us? Instead of "I'm worthless, I'm broken, I'll never amount to anything," we choose to agree with the truth. We agree with Jesus, who calls us His friends (John 15:15). We agree with Paul, who says we're the very righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

As we train our hearts to trust and speak God's promises, faith grows. Scripture puts it plainly: faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17).

So here's my hope for you today. Find that one place where you feel hopeless or stuck in a long, painful wait. Then find a promise from Scripture that speaks straight into it. Instead of letting fear write your script, start gently agreeing with God's truth. Keep your heart lined up with His promises, and stay hopeful in the waiting. He's the God who brings life to the dead—and His grace will carry you.

A Few Honest Questions:

1. What have you started calling "impossible" that God might simply be calling "not yet"?

2. What words do you regularly speak over yourself, and do they line up with what God actually says about you?

3. Is there a name, a label, or an identity you've accepted that God is inviting you to trade for His truth?