The story of Abraham makes it plain that salvation, righteous and restoration are all in God’s hands. The Message says it this way, “the story we’re given is a God-story, not an Abraham-story.”

Nothing in Abraham’s story gives any indication that he did anything to achieve righteousness. Instead, God choose, Abraham believed, and it was reckoned (considered or esteemed) to him as righteousness. How wonderful is that!

In this chapter Paul uses "believes" five times, "trusts" once and "faith" nine times. All these verbs place Abraham’s response and actions not on himself or his doing but on God and what He has done and will do. But that doesn’t mean that Abraham just sat around twiddling his thumbs. He had to trust in a participatory way. Abraham did not weaken in faith when he considered his circumstances (verse 19). No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in the waiting and in the journey (verse 20).

Abraham's part and my part is to believe and trust, trusting Him in the beginning for the work of restoration and continuously trusting that He will do His good work in me until the day of completion (Philippians 1:6). Then to take hold of the grace that God extends each day as I journey along with Him as His disciple.