Promise: a statement telling someone that you will definitely do something or that something will definitely happen in the future
[Source: Webster’s Dictionary]
What is your expectation of a promise? So many people in our lives, both private and public, have broken their promises until the definition of that word has been greatly diluted. Has Webster’s definition of promise, as being definitive and actionable, lost its strength?
What good are promises if they’re not kept?
I’ve recently gotten some feedback from a precious few who think that it’s OK to not expect that God would keep His promises. If your husband/ wife/parent/boss/etc. made a promise to you, you’d expect them to follow through and make it happen. If the promise wasn’t kept, would you be OK with that? I don’t think so! If someone doesn’t keep their promise it makes them a liar– as far as the promise itself is concerned. The Bible clearly tells us that God is NOT a liar which means that He keeps all of His promises (Numbers 23:19). Shouldn’t we expect God to keep His promises?
When I was 10 or 11, I joined a Girl Scout troop. Mrs. Skaggs was our troop leader. Every time we’d have a troop meeting in the large basement of her home, she would lead us in reciting the Girl Scout Promise. Here’s my tattered handbook that shows the promise we made at each meeting.
No matter how hard I tried, I did not fully keep that promise from week to week. I was not always dutiful, helpful, or obedient. Most of the time, I wasn’t even trying to be those things.
But, God keeps ALL of His promises.
“Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises he gave.” 1 Kings 8:56
This hangs in my laundry room as reminder.
What does God say about His promises?
Here’s what He says about the matter:
This means that His answer to your prayer of faith in His promise, is “Yes” because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
His promises are sure. Confess them out loud repeatedly to renew your mind, to build your faith (faith comes by hearing), and to increase your expectation of good — your HOPE. Also, speak the Amen (“so be it”) for His promises to be manifested in your life.
Is your confidence in His promises waning? Don’t cast out His promises or your confidence in them (Hebrews 10:35,36). You can count on Him to come through, even when it seems that He’s taking too long to fulfill His promises according to your timeline.
Be encouraged as you step into the new year of 2015 believing that God keeps all His promises!
What will you do in 2015 to ensure that you take advantage of what the Father has already lovingly provided to you in His promises through Jesus?
