The Promises of God
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You are listening to Meditation Moments. God bless you and make you a blessing! It is our prayer that these few moments of meditation will bring you cheer and spiritual inspiration. It’s not our intention to sermonize or expound in these few brief moments, but to bring you quiet meditations on faith, prayer, and power.
Some of you know that we broadcasted in this area a long time ago, years ago. You might ask, “What of the years since then”? We have been constantly in the service of the Lord. In the words of a familiar poem we find our testimony of those years:
He was better to me than all my hopes;
He was better than all my fears;
He made a bridge of my broken works,
And a rainbow of my tears.The billows that guarded my sea-girt path,
But carried my Lord on their crest;
When I dwell on the days of my wilderness march
I’ve leaned on His love for the rest.True, He emptied my hands of my treasured store,
But His covenant love revealed,
‘Til there was not a wound in my aching heart,
But the balm of His breath had healed.Has He changed for me?
No, He changeth not
He will bring me by some new way
Through fire and flood and crafty foes
As safely as yesterday.He guided by paths that I could not see,
By ways that I have not known;
The crooked He made straight and the rough made plain
As I followed the Lord alone.Oh, there’s never a want on the dreariest heart
But some promise of His indeed
And I read from the past, my future shall be
Far better than all my fears.Author unknown
You note those words particularly, where it says that some time on that march it shall be far better than all my fears. I can truly say that that is true.
Now I want to turn because of this to a favorite passage of Scripture and a subject that has become the theme of my life: messages of promises of God. I turn to the Bible and what the inspired Word says about these promises.
There’s a wonderful passage in 2 Peter, the first chapter: “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:3–4).
Peter says that you know these things, but he wants to stir you up regarding them. And you know them well, but God stir you by putting you in remembrance again. God’s Word makes it plain that the promises are so important, because they make you to become “partakers of the heavenly nature.”
So it’s not merely for getting things from God when we put so much emphasis on the promises. But it’s for a far more important reason: that ye might become a partaker of the heavenly nature.
I wonder if you ever had a friend upon whom you could utterly depend? Who was absolutely faithful to you when things were going wrong? Such friends are so few, but how truly we value them! Someone has said, “There is a strange bond that links a man to that which he has found to be dependable and true. There is a tie that really binds you to the one you can utterly trust to stand by in stormy weather.”
Do you wonder, then, if there is anyone who has tried and proven the promises in God’s Word and found them so unfailing and absolutely trustworthy, that they should feel this strong bond of confidence in them? Many of you listening in who have had no help, no hope, nothing to lean on in the dark hours have found that it is true that He has not failed in one of all His wonderful promises.12 No wonder we come through the storm for God’s Word!
Oh, my friend, if these promises are not worthy of unconditional limitless trust, then the gospel of the love and grace of God would be a myth, a fabric of untruths. But we know through long experience that we can put our full weight upon them and trust in every single word. For when it comes to God’s Word, “we know whom we have believed, and we are persuaded that he is able to keep that which we have committed unto him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12).
When the troubles and trials come, instead of letting them grow and grow like Jonah’s gourd, why not get your Bible and find a promise and claim it in Christ’s name, and step out upon it without the least fear!13
You know, many modern scientific-minded people think it utterly ridiculous to take the promises literally and seriously. Isn’t it strange that in an age of mysterious, powerful invisible forces, such as we have today with radar, television, atomic energy, jet propulsion, that we should doubt the power of an almighty God and His supernatural working in answer to prayer?
In the plant of the Sikorsky factory there is a sign that reads, “According to recognized aerotechnical tests, the bumblebee cannot fly because of the weight and shape of his body in relation to his total wing area. But the bumblebee doesn’t know this, so he goes ahead and flies anyway."
So it is that in spite of all this philosophical reasoning, there are those of trusting childlike faith who are daily doing things, getting things through God’s power, that the doubting intellectuals say just can’t be done.
These are daring to appropriate these promises just as they are, acting upon them. Why, they are getting the most wonderful answers to prayer, and problems solved, and needs met. You see, the bumblebee goes ahead and flies nevertheless!
So you just let the philosophers tangle themselves up in the web of difficulties, and the intellectual doubters try to explain away our rights to accept these promises just as they are. But there are some folks who are listening in, some we know who walk right in and enjoy to the full all the riches that God has for us.
You don’t have to understand the greatness of it all or understand how God is going to do it. Just by simple faith accept and apply them. Don’t let anybody limit your faith. God will stand behind that promise that you chose in your hour of need, that you needed so much right now.
For God says, “Call upon me and I will answer thee.” Believe it, because it is from the mouth of God Himself.14 And He says, “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, that will I do” (John 16:23; John 14:13). Oh child, believe it, because the mouth of God has spoken. Today, this day, now, the very words of God are tingling with supernatural power to be released by the touch of your faith.
By the way, how is your faith? If you will answer one question, I can tell you how your faith is. Have you been reading God’s Word faithfully, earnestly, daily, with an open heart and mind? If you have, your faith is strong and active. “For faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God,”15 says the Word of God.
But don’t ask friends to pray that you will have faith; just get that Bible down and get back to God’s Word. Read it and read it, and you’ll have faith, beloved. Remember, God has said it. Remember God’s Word, the unfailing Word of the unfailing God, and He will meet you.
We marvel at His willingness when we meet the conditions. Remember: meet the conditions! “He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).
God is able. Remember, He is still on the throne and prayer changes things.
Our Father God, we thank Thee for these wonderful promises and provisions in Thy Word. Help us that we can absorb it and our hearts will not condemn us; that we can come boldly to the throne of grace that we can obtain mercy and grace to help in the time of need. For that one that has a very special need this hour, bless and encourage their faith. Grant faith and courage, Lord, to each one. Remember Thy blessings of past years that Thou hast never changed. For the unsaved, we ask Thy mercy and to continue in days of grace, and it be given to them that they might find Thee, their Savior and Friend. For Your own children, unwavering faith in Thy precious Word. Oh Father God, bless each one, and thank You.
God is still on the throne. Prayer changes things.