My sister promised to meet up with a friend later in the month. But when that day came, it landed with a “thud” at the end of an unusually hectic workweek. Her body protested: Head home! Rest! Meet your friend another day. Her conscience, however, called out: Honor your promise!
She shared her inner turmoil with a colleague who replied: “Well, that’s why I don’t make promises. Then I won’t have to keep them. I can still change my mind and do what I like.”
Isn’t it wonderful to know that God both makes and keeps His promises? Consider God’s promises to Abraham: “I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number” (Genesis 22:17). And God did as He said! Abraham became the ancestor of Jesus (Matthew 1:1), and anyone who believes in Jesus becomes a descendant of Abraham and heir to the ultimate promise he received (Galatians 3:29).
When God makes a promise, we can be sure He will keep it. The writer of Hebrews penned, “Those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that [God] would never change his mind” (Hebrews 6:17).
What challenging times are you experiencing? Take heart! God’s promises provide real hope. Even when life becomes unbearable, we “can have great confidence [for] the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls” (Hebrews 6:18-19).
Adoniram Judson, who spent his life sharing the gospel in Burma, understood this truth. He once said in the midst of his many trials, “The future is as bright as the promises of God.”
No matter what our trials may be, if we’ve received Jesus as our Savior, we have a bright future because His promises will never fail.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Judges 14:1-20
More:
Read Psalm 84:11, Isaiah 41:10, and 1 Peter 5:7 for some of God’s promises. What others come to mind?
Next:
How has God kept His promises to you? What promise of His do you need to remember and cling to today?
sandy229 on March 11, 2017 at 12:02 am
We have in God and in His expressed purpose to bless us in Christ grounds for confident expectation. The fulfillment of His promise to Abraham provides assurance that He is certain to perform what He promises. God’s confirmation of His promise by His oath and covenant removes all doubt about its certainty.
A believers growth may be hindered or halted by three distinct enemies: the Devil, the world, and the flesh. We are warned how the Devil walks or roams about like a lion. When lions hunt, they look for weak,young, isolated, unguarded animals. They are the ones marked for attack. The Devil’s ultimate agenda is to destroy us, not merely to hurt, maim, or discourage, but to devour and destroy us. He does that when he gets us to bow to circumstances, pressures or forces of his evil design, hoping thereby to make us yield to him. To overcome, adopt a reverse: B.O.W. to Jesus, the One you Believe, Obey, and Worship. He overcame, refusing to bow to Satan’s devices (Matthew 4:8-10), and our growth in Him will bring the same ability to resist or stand against the Devil (1 Peter 5:9). Be clothed in the full armor of God: be armed with the Word of God (Ephesians 6:10-14), believe Him (Hebrews 11:6), obey Him (1 John 4:23). Receive Christ’s overcoming victory!
God is faithful, He will never leave us or forsake us.
conmeo on March 11, 2017 at 2:00 pm
Sandy, Greatly appreciate His Word inspired writings of yours. Love the BOW….what I need right now as I struggle with a hurting heart over lack of reconciliation and anger from one I tried to play Nathan with (if its the last time you talk to me I will point you to God)….looks like its the last time. “BOW” – ing I am. Peace be with you.
sandy229 on March 11, 2017 at 12:13 am
I think of that song, Standing on the Promises of God
Gary Shultz on March 11, 2017 at 5:43 am
Hi Poh: I love, and we many times live for those promises. God is not short on promises, I like that. It’s all like a big network, God covers life with promises He will do. To make those promises useful we must take them in faith. To have faith we must believe and it somewhat circles back to what God has been demonstrating since time began. He has unfolded His character to us in many ways, opening the goodness of His hand to us. God has, through history, totally proven Himself and we can historically see promises made and promises fulfilled, no question about it. But He asks us to believe. If we would only believe. And if we could get another thing straight, we believe on God’s terms, He made the offer. It would seem like that’s way to much to ask of most folks. And that has been the struggle from the beginning, God offers and asks and we ignore and try to make it on our own, to where? “Promises, Promises”, good promises, for the believing and using. Thanks Poh