Thursday | 12 February 2026
The Scriptures teach us that ‘faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen’. Heb 11:1. What is the hope that is revealed through the gospel of God? It is more than the resurrection; it is even more than everlasting life. Describing the Christian hope as a mystery that is now being made known to all peoples, the apostle Paul declared, ‘To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.’ Col 1:27.
We see that the wonderful hope, made known through the gospel, is for a believer to be progressively filled with, and a possessor of, the glory of God Himself! Paul described the hope of the gospel to the Ephesians by saying, ‘that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God’. Eph 3:17-19.
This is the hope of glory that Abraham, our father, received. Significantly, Stephen declared that it was ‘the God of glory’ who appeared to Abraham and established him in this hope. Act 7:2-8. Abraham was illuminated to the hope of the glory of God when Christ said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.’ Gen 15:1. The Lord then directed Abram, saying, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them… So shall your descendants be.’ Gen 15:5. Abraham believed the word of the King-Priest, recognising that he and his children would be filled with the glory of God, as stars shining forth the light of life. As he believed this hope, it was accounted to him for righteousness. Gen 15:6.
Further Study:
Genesis 15
References:
Heb 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Col 1:27
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Eph 3:17-19
That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Act 7:2-8
And he said, ‘Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said to him, “Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.” Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell. And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him. But God spoke in this way: that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land, and that they would bring them into bondage and oppress them four hundred years. “And the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will judge,” said God, “And after that they shall come out and serve Me in this place.” Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs.’
Gen 15:1
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.’
Gen 15:5-6
Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.