Have you ever been promised something? I have. Were promises always kept? Mine were not. How did you respond when a promised was not kept? How did you respond when a promise was kept? Is anyone you know able to totally keep a promise? I personally know someone who will always keep His promises. Do you? Let me share with you what I learned about how promises bring hope.
There have been countless times when a person has promised me something and did not come through. My guess is that there are countless times when I have promised something and have not come through as well. I understand how this happens because I and others can be unreliable. I may forget. I may be unable to perform a task that I thought I could, or I may have just lied because it was the easy way out. Even with the best intentions, all of us are sinful. God reminds us of this in Genesis 8:21-22. “And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”’ (ESV)
There are several promises that God has made to me, and you that I think bring us hope. Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” John 14:2 (ESV) The writer of Hebrews said, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (ESV). Jesus is coming back, “And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Mark 14:62 (ESV) If I believe I will have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Matthew 3:16 (ESV) This last one is I believe the greatest promise and the one that gives me the most hope. However, without all the other promises of God I am not sure whether this one would be as believable. Please accept this last promise to be absolutely true, reliable and believable.
I know for certain God will always keep his promises. Read Hebrews 6:13-20. I believe the verses there for me are verses 17-20, “So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” ESV) Since God never changes and His character existed before time began and it will never change. Since it is also impossible for Him to lie. I always absolutely know that a promise from God will happen.
I pray you that you will embrace the promises of God provided for you today. Depend upon them because they are true. God cares so much for you, even in your relationship with God through Jesus, promises to change you. It is that relationship that solves the problem of sin and brings us hope in the present and the future. I would also encourage you to seek Jesus for He is the only opportunity there is to have eternal life. This is to me the greatest source of hope. In doing so, I believe we will have hope and joy in our everyday lives. Understanding how Jesus Christ grants us access to eternal life, allows us to live in hope. “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John 17:3 (ESV) At the same time understanding you will live eternally knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ will also bring you the greatest hope. Because of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross satisfied the penalty for sins. His payment satisfies all my sins from the past, the present and in the future. My penalty and yours was satisfied on the cross by the death of Jesus, God’s greatest act of love and wrath, who became sin for me and you. It was also God’s greatest act of faithfulness because “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV) Because holiness shows us, we need to believe in Jesus. I hope that you join me in helping others to choose Jesus.
If you have not read my previous blogs, you can find them here. You can watch a book trailer about my book. You can find my book, Hope Amid Hopelessness: Our Abba Father Provides a Way Through Mental Illness here.
eBook or Audiobook versions can be found at Westbow Press or Christianbook.com at Amazon or Google.
