"Standing on a Promise' (Part 3)

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).

Today let’s look at how we can claim the promises of God in our lives. Before I get too deep into that however, we need to look at the “when” of claiming the promises of God. Just a few things to note:

 We can claim a promise when it applies to us. There are those promises in Scripture that deal directly with Israel. They simply don’t apply to us. I have found that there have been some who have taken these promises out of context and then wondered why God didn’t grant them. Well, the simple answer is that they didn’t belong to us in the first place.
 We can claim a promise when the context is not violated. That goes with what I just said a bit. However, it takes it even a step further.
 We can claim a promise when God is glorified. God doesn’t work in a vacuum. He works in our lives so that others will be blessed.
 We can claim a promise when the Holy Spirit is a witness to our spirit.

Now, here’s the “how”:

Be patient as God works out all the details for your best in the circumstance. I know that’s the hardest part. We all want what we want now! When I’m working at my part-time job I often eat at one particular fast food restaurant. The meal I order is always the same. It’s filling and inexpensive, even though it may not be nutritionally very good for me. They have come to expect me to order the same thing and because I often have odd “lunch” breaks, they notice when I first walk in and begin to prepare it for me. They try very hard not to make me wait. I have told them numerous times that they can take the “fast” out of their fast food for me. I’m in no hurry. Wouldn’t it be great if we could practice that with everything in our lives? God wants us to do that. It is the way we claim our promises!

Be obedient in other areas of your life while you wait. Ouch… another hard one! It is often hard for me to be obedient when God seems to have failed to come through. What I need to understand is the timing of God is often vastly different than mine. The call to be obedient is always the same though. This obedience is not a legalistic carrot on a stick. It is the response of my deep and abiding love to God who has already given me the greatest gift imaginable. More gifts will be forthcoming. Just keep walking the path!

And, last, have faith. This one is pretty easy to understand. James talks about it clearly in his letter. Ask knowing that God will give. Go ahead stand on the promises!