The Promise Keeper

I wonder if any one of us could say we’ve never broken a promise. Promises are easy to make but, for countless reasons, far more difficult to keep. Sometimes we make promises in rash moments and forget we’ve ever made them. Thankfully God is different to us. The Bible literally contains thousands of promises, which speak of hope in all our circumstances.

Unlike us, God never makes a promise He can’t or won’t keep. A promise from our Heavenly Father is something you can depend on with absolute confidence. Many of His great promises are so easily understood. ‘I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you; I will strengthen you and uphold you, I will protect you; I will guide you and show you the way that is best for your life; I will work everything for your good as you love me and follow me’, and many, many more.

Unlike earthly fathers, it’s impossible for our Heavenly Father to ever break a promise. He’s utterly trustworthy, and completely faithful. He can’t lie, or change His mind. His nature is holiness, grace, mercy, compassion, love and faithfulness. In fact, He’s abounding in love and faithfulness. His love reaches to the heavens, and His faithfulness to the skies. If God is on our side, then who can be against us, and what could ever separate us from His love?

Obedience is a major theme in the Bible, and our text for today teaches us that obedience is the key to obtaining God’s promises, and reminds us that the greatest of God’s promises, yet to be fulfilled, is that Jesus will come again. Biblical promises are not just for our good. They are to give us understanding of, and to take us into, God’s kingdom purposes, showing us how to live our lives. Peter tells us that God’s great and precious promises are given for a reason, ‘That through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires’ (2 Peter 1:4).

You may recall a time when God has spoken personally to you and given you a very pertinent promise. Any promise from the heart of God will prevail, in God’s way and God’s time, which may be very different to ours. Sometimes you have a conviction that God has spoken to you, and yet, when you’re living your ordinary life, day by day, it can seem quite remote. However, take heart, because what God’s promised (for His glory, not mine) is as certain as if you had it in your hand today.

The history of the Bible is very clear that God’s never in a hurry, nor does He have quick fixes. His timing is perfect, and it’s folly to try to give Him a helping hand to make the promise reality, or try to fill the gap with something else. Rather, we’re to commit our way to the Lord, trust in Him, be still before Him, and wait patiently. If God leaves a space, it’s very unwise to try to fill it with something other than what He’s promised, and sometimes it can be tempting to do this. Faith rests on the promises of God, and doesn’t rely on feelings. Faith trusts the Father’s heart and says, “You can’t be unfaithful.”

The normal Christian life is built on God’s unfailing promises, none of which will fail. Throughout the Bible we see the promises of God made real in history. Through faith we see the same promises made real in our mundane situations. Yes indeed! He who promised is faithful, so whatever your circumstances today, you can trust Him.