November 26, 2015

“let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; Hebrews 10:22 – 23

“Our heavenly Father has made many promises in the Bible. But there is confusion about which verses we can claim as a definite commitment from God. Three questions are useful in evaluating whether divine promises apply to our own situation:

1. Is this promise limited to a specific person or circumstance, or does it apply to all believers? For example, the pledge made to Abraham and Sarah about giving birth to a child (Gen. 18:10) is restricted to them, whereas Hebrews 13:5 contains a guarantee to all Christians that Jesus will be with them forever.

2. Are we asking the Lord to meet a need or a desire? A need is something that we must have in order for God to complete His work in our lives. A desire is something we want for satisfaction or enjoyment. If we lose our job, then an essential—an incoming wage—is missing. But if we want a new position for personal reasons, it’s a desire.

3. Before fulfilling a promise, does the Lord require some action on our part? Proverbs 3:5-6 is a conditional promise, which pledges God’s direction on the basis of our trust in Him. On the other hand, Jesus’ assurance of His presence with believers is unconditional (Matt. 28:20).

By evaluating Scripture on the basis of these questions, we will know which promises apply to our situation. Think of how much more confidence we’ll have in asking our Lord to fulfill them. For, as 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV) says, “No matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.” (In Touch website, The Promises of G*d, October 23, 2015)

I like the verses of Proverbs mentioned in the devotion. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insights; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths”. The relationship G*d so much wants with each one of us is a relationship based on trust. The promises of G*d are steadfast and true. If G*d promises to do something, then it is done. When Jesus promises to be with us to the end of the age, then we believe and trust that Jesus is with us. When Jesus promises to be in the bread and wine of communion, and in the word and water in Baptism, then we trust that Jesus is there.

Our lives are filled with people who will break their promises and forget their vows. Jesus is not on that list. When we think we have been forsaken by our G*d, it is time to assess our expectations. G*d will provide us all we need, not all we desire. Knowing the difference will help us for a trusting relationship with G*d, and ultimately with each other.

Pastor Dave