But God Promised

Have you ever received a word from the Lord? Maybe it was a Scripture that seemed to pop off the page and be written just for you in that moment. Maybe it was a thought that you knew was not your own, but it gave you peace.

God loves to give His children wisdom of things to come, promises about the future. John 16:13 reads:

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future (NLT).

What a glorious promise! We see this throughout Scripture. From Genesis to today, God’s promises are true—and not only are they true, but they also give us faith to get through the trials until they do come to pass.

In Genesis 37, we read that Joseph dreamed about his future. Then, his brothers turned on him and sold him as a slave. He was lied about and thrown in jail where he was forgotten—until the right time when he was exalted to second in charge of all Egypt (Genesis 41). At this point, he was finally restored to his family. Talk about a trial!

In 1 Samuel 16, David was called out by the prophet Samuel and anointed to be king. However, before he was king, he ran for his life from King Saul. We see in 2 Samuel 5:1-4 that the promise was fulfilled, and David stepped into his role as king.

Mary was told by the angel that she would give birth to the Son of God (Luke 1). I can only imagine the hardships she faced awaiting this holy child’s birth in a time when women were stoned for having a child out of wedlock.

This is just a small sample of individuals who had faith because they had a promise—and they held on to that promise until it came to pass. There are so many more. However, many never lived to see the promises happen in their lifetime. Yet, they held on to God and His Word. Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the “faith hall of fame” because we are reminded in that chapter of so many who died before they saw the promises fulfilled.

So, what about us? Why does God give us promises? He gives us promises so that we will hold on to Him and what He said, even when all looks to be at its worst.

I don’t know what you are facing—but get a word in His Word! Get alone with God. Read Scripture. Ask God to speak. As 2 Corinthians 1:20 tells us:

For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.

Prayer: God, our precious Father, speak to us, Your children. Help us to hold on to Your Word and trust in You. Thank You for being the Faithful One who cannot lie. Amen!

~

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.