Romans 4:20

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He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

Romans 4:20 (NKJV)

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,

Romans 4:20 (NIV)

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

Romans 4:20 (KJV)

Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he gave glory to God.

Romans 4:20 (NLT)

No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,

Romans 4:20 (ESV)

yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,

Romans 4:20 (NASB)

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God,

Romans 4:20 (AMP)

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God,

Romans 4:20 (AMPC)

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMPC), Copyright © 1954, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

He didn't tiptoe around God's promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God,

Romans 4:20 (MSG)

Scripture quotations from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.

New Covenant Meaning

Not Wavering Is Not Trying Harder: It Is Not Judging Between Two Voices

The Greek word translated "waver" is diakrino, which means to judge between, to discriminate, to put two things on opposite sides of a scale and render a verdict. Abraham's temptation was not to abandon the promise outright. It was to weigh God's word against the natural evidence, his 100-year-old body, Sarah's barren womb, and let the evidence win. Not wavering means he refused to let the natural evidence sit in judgment over what God had said. He did not dismiss the evidence. Romans 4:19 says he considered his own body, now as good as dead. He saw the natural situation clearly. He simply refused to give it authority over what God declared. That is what New Covenant faith looks like: not ignoring what you see, but not letting what you see overrule what God has spoken.

He Was Strengthened, Which Means God Did the Strengthening

The phrase "was strengthened in faith" uses the Greek word endunamoo, which is a passive voice verb. Abraham did not strengthen himself. He was strengthened. The passive construction is theologically precise: the empowerment came from outside him. This is the pattern of New Covenant faith throughout the New Testament. Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," the same verb, the same passive reality. Faith is not a muscle you build through discipline. It is something God works in you as you agree with what He has said. Abraham's faith grew as he kept agreeing with God's promise, and God did the empowering.

Romans 4:21 completes the picture: Abraham was "fully persuaded that what God had promised He was also able to perform." The Greek word plerophoreo means to be carried to full measure, fully convinced, completely satisfied. That is the destination of faith: not straining to believe, but arriving at settled persuasion that God's word is true and that God is able. That settled place is itself what gives God glory, because it treats His word as reliable and His power as real.

Application for Your Life

Faith Is Agreement, Not Effort

One of the most common misunderstandings about faith is that it is primarily an act of willpower, that believing harder is what makes faith work. Romans 4:20 corrects that. Abraham was not white-knuckling his way through unbelief. He was refusing to let natural evidence sit in judgment over God's word. That is available to you right now, in whatever situation you are facing. You do not have to manufacture certainty. You do not have to suppress honest awareness of the difficulty. What you can do is refuse to give the difficulty the final word over what God has said. That refusal is faith. And as you stay in agreement with God's word, God does the strengthening.

Giving Glory to God Is the Posture of Faith

Paul says Abraham gave glory to God by his faith. That connection is not accidental. When you believe God's promise over the natural evidence, you are declaring that God is trustworthy, that His word is reliable, and that His power is sufficient. That declaration is what glorifies God. Doubt, in contrast, implicitly treats God's word as uncertain and His power as potentially insufficient. The most worship-filled thing you can do in a hard season is simply believe what God said. That act, more than any other, gives Him glory, because it says He is exactly who He says He is.

Prayer Based on This Verse

Father, I choose today not to let circumstances sit in judgment over Your word. What I see in the natural does not get to overrule what You have spoken. I agree with Your promise. I am not trying to manufacture faith by force. I am simply refusing to let the evidence contradict what You said. Strengthen me in faith the way You strengthened Abraham, not because I worked for it, but because I am staying in agreement with You. I am fully persuaded that what You promised, You are able to perform. Let that settled place give You glory today. In Jesus' name. Amen.