Welcome back! Last week I was out of town visiting family, so there wasn’t a new post here on Wednesday. But today we’re getting back to our theme for April, which is God’s Word.
In my family growing up, making a promise was a big deal. We were always expected to keep our word, and making a promise was something we didn’t do lightly. That’s carried over to my adult life, and we’ve tried to teach our children that same principle.
If you’ve ever had someone make you a promise, and then not follow through, you know that it can be hard to trust that person again. Yet we understand that sometimes things happen that are outside of a person’s control that cause a promise to be broken. What a blessing that we never have to worry about God keeping the promises He makes in the Bible!
“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)” ~Hebrews 10:23
I like this definition of the word promise that I found at Christianity.com. “A promise is a covenant or declaration that one will do exactly what they say or something will happen just as pledged.” When we find promises in God’s Word, we can have full assurance that God will do exactly what He says He will do.
Let’s look at five promises we find in the Bible to encourage us today!
1. God will never leave us nor forsake us.
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” ~Hebrews 13:5
We will never be alone. God is with us in every trial we face. In the dark and messy places of life, He is there. It doesn’t matter if we feel His presence continually or not. We know He is there because He said He would be. What comfort we can find in this promise!
2. God will meet our needs.
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:19
Our Heavenly Father knows exactly what our needs are. Even greater, He has the means to meet everyone of them. And doesn’t He give us so many of our wants as well?
While our first thought might be of material or physical needs, He also has the power to meet our spiritual needs. For example, the Holy Spirit brings an appropriate Bible verse to mind when we’re tempted or when we need comfort. God is able to provide peace and joy when our hearts are heavy. Every type of need we have can be met by God.
3. God gives us everything that is good for us.
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” ~Psalm 84:11
How many times have we thought we knew what was good for us, only to see in hindsight that if we’d gotten what we wanted, it would not have ended well? That’s what is so great about what God gives us. We can know that it’s always and truly for our benefit.
“The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” ~Proverbs 10:22
4. Through God, we can have victory over sin.
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” ~1 John 4:4
The pull of sin and our flesh is strong. But the power of God is greater. We must learn not to rely on ourselves and our strength, but to claim God’s promise and act on it.
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” ~Philippians 4:13
5. God gives us wisdom when we ask for it.
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” ~James 1:5
Ask and He’ll give wisdom. That seems so simple…but we have to remember to ask. When we want to make that decision or correct that child or confront that boss in our own wisdom, it can take a wrong turn pretty quickly. But here we have an open invitation to ask for the wisdom we need for any situation – and we can have faith that we’ll receive it.
There are literally thousands of promises in God’s Word. Do you have a personal favorite? I think it would be encouraging if we wrote down the times we see a promise of God fulfilled in our own life. Maybe I need to add a page for that in my gratitude journal! What a blessing it would be to look back over that in years to come and remember God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises.
Related posts:
- 10 Things We Can Know About God’s Goodness
- 5 Things to Remember in a Season of Waiting
- 8 Ways to Know if We Have Godly Wisdom
I try so hard to keep my word when I tell one of my children that we will do (or not do) something because I know how important it is!
Loyalty and integrity are two of the most important qualities to me! I love how we see the loyalty and integrity of God reflected here!!!
Yes, may we all reflect our Lord by showing loyalty and integrity to those around us!