"Standing on a Promise" (Part 1)

Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever. So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. (Hebrews 10:32-36 NLT).

The last little series dealt with the dangers of neglecting the great gift God ha given us. When we are indifferent about the grace of God we simply miss everything He intends for us to have and be in our lives! Today I want to look at some of these things we miss. The writer in our reading today simply says we should not throw away the promises of God. As I’ve grown older I’ve come to realize the importance of a promise.

There was one promise I made when Kyle was young that I failed to keep. It concerned the repair of a little red fire truck that had been damaged accidentally. We laugh about it today, though at the time it wasn’t very funny! I had promised to repair it. Days turned to weeks; weeks turned to months; and, months to years without the fire truck being repaired. Oh, I finally repaired it. However, by the time it was done the only one of my sons who could fit in it was Aaron. Oh, did I mention there is nearly ten years difference in the ages? And, of course, there were other promises not kept. Those failures have become significant lessons for me. Fortunately the boys haven’t too hard on me for any of them!

Here’re the important lessons from those experiences. First, don’t make promises you cannot or will not keep. ‘Nuff said about that. Second, God doesn’t make those mistakes. He never makes a promise he won’t keep; and they are always on time! There are thousands of promises in the Scripture. Here are just a few for you to think about in the coming days:

 God’s presence— “I will never leave you” (Hebrews 13:5)
 God’s protection—”I am your shield” (Genesis 15:1)
 God’s provision—”I will help you” (Isaiah 41:10)
 God’s rest—”Come unto Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28)
 God’s goodness— “No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11)
 God’s faithfulness—”All things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28)

We’ll look more at the what, why, when, and to whom later. Today, determine to hold on to His promises!