When the Odds On Your Life Don't Matter
Abraham wasn’t a priest or a prophet. He was a husband with no child, a traveler with no map, and a man learning to trust the voice of Someone he couldn’t see.
He came from a wealthy city called Ur, in modern-day Iraq, around 2000 BC. He was settled, respected, aging. His wife, Sarai, was beautiful and heartbroken. They had waited for decades to become parents. And by the time we meet them in Genesis 15, the wait has stretched long past what feels reasonable.
That night, Abraham stares up at the stars. He’s left everything to follow this God. He’s trusted. He’s obeyed. But still, he had no child. No heir. There was no fulfilment in sight.
And that’s when God spoke again.
“Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield.
I am your very great reward.”
(Genesis 15:1)
God doesn’t lead with the “what.” He leads with the “who.”
He doesn’t offer strategy.
He offers Himself.
When He says, I am your shield, He’s not promising ease.
He’s promising presence that stands between you and what would break you.
A shield is what you carry when the battle’s still on. It lets you stay in the fight.
God says, “You can stop bracing. I’ve got you covered.”
When He says, I am your reward, He’s telling Abraham: the greatest gift isn’t what I do for you—it’s who I am to you.
Even before the promise is fulfilled, God is enough.
The treasure isn’t the outcome. It’s the intimacy.
Abraham doesn’t deny the facts.
He considers them honestly:
“His body was as good as dead.”
“Sarah’s womb was also dead.” (Romans 4:19)
He knows the odds. He doesn’t pretend otherwise.
But—“in regard to God’s promise, he did not waver through unbelief.”
“Instead, his faith grew strong.” (Romans 4:20)
This is the miracle before the miracle:
Abraham grew.
Not in certainty. Not in energy. But in trust.
He kept listening to the voice that called him.
And that voice became stronger than the odds.
Paul tells the full story like this:
“Against all odds, when it looked hopeless, Abraham believed the promise and expected God to fulfill it.”
“He took God at His word…
He never stopped believing…
He was made strong in his faith…
He was convinced that God had all the power needed to fulfill His promises.”
(Romans 4:18–22 TPT)
And then Paul makes it personal:
“This wasn’t written just for him.
It was written for us.” (Romans 4:24–25)
His story isn’t over. It’s still unfolding in people like you.
So what does that mean for us?
It means the story of impossible fulfilment wasn’t just Abraham’s. It’s ours.
It means the same God who spoke under ancient skies still speaks into your ordinary life.
It means that faith isn’t positive thinking. It’s trusting the One who calls things into being that don’t even exist yet.
And it means that even when your timeline is broken, your story isn’t.
So what do we do?
We don’t need to go outside and count stars unless God tells us to.
That was Abraham’s invitation.
Yours might be different.
What is God asking you to look at right now?
A journal entry from a time when His voice was unmistakable?
A Scripture that’s burned in your chest?
A prophecy (a promise and encouragement from God) you’ve been too afraid to revisit?
A testimony (a story that God has done for someone else or others) that you can’t shake?
A long delay that somehow didn’t undo you?
Whatever it is—look there.
Don’t ignore the facts. But don’t give them the final word either.
Abraham faced reality. But he weighed God’s promise heavier.
For the road ahead
If your body feels worn,
If your timeline feels missed,
If your faith feels tired,
You’re not failing.
You’re standing where Abraham stood.
And the same voice that met him under that ancient sky is still speaking to you now.
“Do not be afraid.
I am your shield.
I am your reward.”
Practice for today
Ask God directly: “Where do You want me to look today?”
Follow that leading. Not in fear, but in faith.
Pray this aloud:
You are my shield.
You are my reward.
I believe You.
I trust what You’ve promised more than what I see.
Take this with you:
Faith doesn’t come from ignoring the odds.
It comes from trusting the God who speaks in the face of them.
Abraham’s body said “no way.”
Sarah’s womb said “not possible.”
But the promise said “I’m still coming.”
And that promise wasn’t just for them. It’s for us.
“For when we believe and embrace the One who brought our Lord Jesus back to life… perfect righteousness is credited to us as well.” (Romans 4:24–25 TPT)
If God said it, it still stands.
And that’s how faith grows.
Even here.
Even now.
Even in you.
We are building Doxa, the encouragement app, to be encouraged not only in moments of encouragements, but for the whole journey.
Great “Practice for today”! Thank you for sharing