July 1 – Promises

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” - Isaiah 41:10

A story is told about a young man who walked into a photography studio with a picture of his girlfriend. He wanted the picture duplicated. The owner of the store noticed the inscription on the back of the picture which said, “My Dearest Tom, I love you with all my heart. I love you more and more each day. I will love you forever and ever. I am yours for all eternity.” It was signed “Diane,” and it contained a P.S. “If we ever break up, I want this picture back.”

A lot of people today make promises they can’t keep. They write cheques that bounce....we live in an era of unkept promises. Nations sign important treaties and then break them at will. Elections are held and the people voted into power break their promises before the ink is dry. Many couples show little regard for their wedding vows, They swear before God to love each other “until death do us part” - then leave, turning their backs on their children. In this kind of society, we who are God's people should be known for keeping our promises.

There are approximately 8,810 promises in the entire Bible. In the Old Testament there are 7,706 and in the New Testament there are 1,104 wonderful promises. Deuteronomy 28 has 133 promises, which is more than any other chapter in the Bible. “We’re sitting on the premises when we ought to be standing on the promises!” observes Vance Havner. (Encyclopedia of Illustrations #4612).

“But you promised!” Most parents have heard this broken hearted cry. If someone disappointed us, we’ve said it, too. Broken promises destroy trust, causing distress and pain. Sometimes promises are made in haste — to quiet a child or end an argument. But responsibility for keeping that promise doesn’t go away because we didn’t think it through. I readily hold up my hand – I am as guilty as the next.  In Numbers 30:2, God says, “When a man makes a vow…he must not break his word but must do everything he said.”

But you know, a promise is only as good as the one making it. If a person is reliable by nature, you know that their promises are reliable. But if the one making the promises is unreliable, then those promises are also unreliable.We know that God's character is perfect. Joshua said, "Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true. Not a single one has failed!" (Joshua 23:14, NLT). Peter spoke about the promises of God. He called them "exceedingly great and precious promises" (2 Peter 1:4). God's promises are trustworthy because God Himself is trustworthy.

Ask yourself this question: Has God ever made you a promise that He hasn't carried out—not on your timetable but on His? So what do you do with God's promises? You might say, "I underline them," or "I memorize them." We should be saying, "I believe them. I stand upon them. I live my life by them." (Skip Heitzig)

The Apostle Peter writes in 1 Peter: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade” (1 Peter 1:3-4).
As Christians we have this hope — the hope that things will get better. This life is not the end, people can change, and heaven is waiting for us — not wishful thinking but confident expectation. We have this hope because God keeps his promises.

As Peter traveled with Jesus, he saw promises being made and kept. Peter heard Jesus talk about His death and resurrection then saw Him fulfill it. Peter heard Jesus promise He would build His church, then witnessed Jesus doing it all through the book of Acts. If anyone knows that God keeps His word, it’s Peter.

God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He doesn't change (Hebrews 13:8 NIV). The way God fulfills promise after promise in the Bible shows us that we can trust Him to come through for us today, tomorrow, and forever. God’s past provision is the best predictor of His future faithfulness. (Newspring church).

“Grandpa” (Tell me 'bout the good old days) LIVE presented by The Isaacs is from Bryn's selection for our music today. Click on the picture to listen.