Friday, August 26, 2011

Promises, Promises

As you probably know, we are getting ready to enter an election year!  Yep, November, 2012 is fast approaching!  We are beginning to hear interviews, watch debates and read articles about all the candidates.  It will, unfortunately, get ugly between the parties and the candidates.....One thing we will hear is a lot of promises. We will hear something like this, "When elected, I promise........"  The question is how many of those promises will they keep???

And so it goes, the trials we face every 4 years here in America.  I began to think of all the "promises" that will be made over the next many months and how many of them will be broken after the election.  That can really bum you out if you think about it for very long.  However, my mind began to dwell on One who has yet to break even one promise He has made.  That will make you smile if think about that for any length of time.  Yes, we have a Savior, a Heavenly Father who has never broke one promise He has made to us.  The Bible says that it is impossible for God to lie.  Truth = God.  All the promises we have are found in His Word and we stand upon His Word.  All the promises of God are "yes" and "amen"!  (II Corinthians 1:20-22)

God has left us hundreds of promises in His Word and we can claim them in good times and bad.  We don't have a God who is like the shifting sand.  His promises are good from the moment He spoke them and through eternity.  God is not a politician with hopes of getting reelected, making promises trying to win votes.  No! Christ was crowned King of Kings a long, long time ago and that title is not up for grabs!  The King of Kings that was, still is, and will be throughout all eternity!  God's promises are not dependent on the economy, or the votes of the House or the Senate and there is not one person who has the power to veto what God has promised!  Hallelujah!

However, we must realize that some of God's promises are contingent upon our obedience.  I have heard it so many times from others, and sad to say that I have done this very thing.....quoting a promise from God but not obeying God at the time- still claiming the promise of God.  What do I mean?  Well, I have had people talk to me sad about a need that wasn't met, a hope shattered, and they will read a certain verse to me that they claimed and now they doubt God because they feel He didn't come through for them.....but there was one problem.....they weren't walking with God.....the promise they claimed was contingent upon their obedience to God.  We can't claim all the promises of God if we are not walking in obedience to Him.

Let me give a few examples. Romans 10:13- "For whosoever shall call upon the the name of the Lord shall be saved."  The promise of salvation is a promise that is ours to claim for all time.  God doesn't remove our salvation in our moments of disobedience.  (Such grace is not a license to sin- but this great grace is something that is ours to rest in at all times!)

John 14:18 "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you"- This is another promise that we can claim at all times.  The presence of God is with His children at all times.  While we may walk away from Him, He never walks away from us.

Romans 8:1- There is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus....."- Another promise that the child of God can claim at  any time.  We will never, no never face the condemnation of our Father.

But how about Matthew 6:33- "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you."- the promise comes after the instruction given to us to seek first the Kingdom of God.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not on thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths"  The promise comes after the instruction.

Malachi 3:10, the promises of God opening up the storehouses of heaven and pouring out a blessing so great that we cannot receive it is contingent upon us bringing the tithes and offerings of our first fruits to Him.

These are just a few of the examples.  My question is, where are you at today in your walk with the Lord?  I ask myself that same question.  Are we living like the world yet trying to claim promises that are contingent upon our obedience.  We can do that all we want- but I fear that it will be an exercise we will carry out in vain.

You want to live in all the promises of God, do I?  Then friend, we must walk in obedience.

Take comfort in those promises of God today.  I know, we have a life time of experiencing broken promises, deceptions and embellishments from those in the world that we should be able to trust.....but we do not serve a God who lies or deceives or embellishes!  No!! A thousand times NO!  We serve a God who cannot lie, who will not lie and we have a whole Book that gives account after account of a God who keeps His Word!!

Testify today to the promises God has kept in your life.  People need encouragement, they need to hear from you about the God you serve.  Share Christ with someone today.

Are you walking in disobedience?.....ok.  We serve a God that allows U-Turns!  Just turn around you will find Him right there to embrace you.  We serve a God who just doesn't "leave the porch light on" in case we want to come home.  He is awake and sees us from afar off and runs to meet us.  We serve a Shepherd who leaves the ninety and nine to look for His one lost sheep!  Hallelujah!

To God be the Glory!!