God’s Promises are a sure thing . . .

 

I’m finding it hard to think about heaven with so many challenges of life right now. Family Reunion plans are tangled by crazy unreasonable prices in the venue we hoped for. A family member is making bad choices. The news in the world is almost all bad and distressful. However, God encourages me. Some problems have options that His will allows, and others are covered by His promises even if they stay as they are. This is His Word today:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith — more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire — may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:3–7)

This was written when Christians would not worship the emperor or be involved in pagan practices so were suspicious and discredited. Peter wanted to encourage them to live in faith during persecution, just as Jesus had done when He suffered unjustly:

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:21–23)

My inheritance is “reserved” meaning it already exists, is protected now and forever. It is in heaven where “neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal” and where “nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” This is the safest possible place.

The part that encourages me is that not only is my inheritance protected, but I am also protected for it. The power of God is continually protecting me until His work is fully accomplished in my life. Then I will be glorified in the fullness of this salvation He graciously gave me.

PRAY: I’m thankful to You Jesus, for You protect me from sin and death and keep me in Your care no matter what happens. I’m not enjoying some of the unpleasant events of life, yet they are a moment compared to the everlasting glory of being with You for eternity. Help me smile at the size of my God rather than frown at the size of my problems.

PONDER: Romans 8:31–39; Philippians 1:6; and Jude 24 and praise God for the security that is mine in Jesus Christ.

 

 

God is faithful; whatever He says He will do!

Little children easily trust people but that trust is also easily shattered when promises are not kept. And that will happen, not always maliciously but we humans are prone to breaking promises. Because of that, trusting God is difficult until we learn that when God makes a PROMISE, He delivers.

The OT is filled with stories of God’s promises and the results. He promised specific blessings to Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and many others and kept every one of them, even when it seemed that those blessings would never happen. He promised them a land and thrust out their enemies before them, again according to His promises.

Nehemiah 9:15. ”You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you had sworn to give them.”

Theses promises are often reiterated in the NT, particularly to show that believers in the OT were fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised.

Acts 7:4–5. “Then (Abraham) went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child.”

That promise of land was fulfilled as was the promise of a son, even though this man was old and his wife well past the age of childbearing when their son was conceived and born. Romans 4 speaks of how Abraham believed God, “grew strong in His faith giving glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” For this reason we are told in Hebrews 10:23 to “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”

Some say that there are nearly 300 promises in the Bible. Others say more than 3000. Whatever the number, the emphasis is on the God who made them and fulfills them. Some have lumped them into categories like the following examples:  

NEEDS: Philippians 4:19. “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” This includes food, clothing, shelter, companionship, love, and salvation through Jesus Christ, not the ‘I-wants’ or luxuries many consider as needs yet He takes care of His people.

STRENGTH: 2 Corinthians 12:9 promises, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” God provides salvation by grace through faith. Then in faith we have access to the grace that gives us endurance in suffering and assurance throughout our lives because of His great love and His promises.

SPIRITUAL PROTECTION: 1 Corinthians 10:13 promises that we will not be overcome by temptation and sin. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” and Jude 24 adds that “He is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy.” He delivered Noah from the judgment of the flood, David from Saul, Daniel from the lion’s den, his three friends from the fiery furnace, and all His people from the punishment for sin. He keeps His promises.

ETERNAL LIFE: God also promises victory over death. He assured our resurrection by the resurrection of His Son. 1 John 2:25 says “This is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.” And the entire NT is filled with the marvel of that event and great promise, as 1 Corinthians 15:22 succinctly states: “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”

CHANGED LIFE WITH PURPOSE: God also promises that all things work together for good to those who love and serve Him faithfully. Romans 8:28–29 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” This ‘good’ is that we will be like Jesus. This promise is backed up in many places:

1 John 3:2–3. "Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. It is because of these promises and His faithfulness to fulfill them that I keep my eyes on Jesus and desire to keep my life aligned with His will. All human promises are subject to failure but God never fails to do exactly what He promises. He is worthy of all honor, glory and praise and worthy of full, total faith!