A Full and Complete Order

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. (2 Corinthians 1:20-22 ESV).

I have taken to this “curbside pickup” at the grocery store pretty well. I have used two different services thus far. Each has their upside as well as downside. Perhaps the most interesting part of the entire experience is the “substitutions” that inevitably are given for some of the items. Some of the time it’s merely a different brand of the same thing; however, there have been a few times when it was something entirely different. Thus far I’ve not gotten a full and complete order. In reality, they have said “yes” when really it turned out to be a “no.” I must confess that I feel a little like one of the contestants on Guy’s Grocery Games! Sometimes I need to be a bit creative in the preparation of meals! Don’t misunderstand my intention here. I am not suggesting that they were somehow misleading or insincere. In fact they sent emails and double-checked with me prior to my arrival to acknowledge and/or accept the substitutions. They were caught in the same circumstance we all find ourselves. Stuff happens. There were delays beyond their control, unavailable items, unusual demand that could not be anticipated or fulfilled. You see, the truth is that reality can interfere with the best of human promises. That brings me to today’s thought. Our reading is from a broader context where the Apostle Paul is explaining to the Corinthians why he didn’t come to see them as he originally planned. It leads to a discussion about the nature of God. Certainly we all come to the same kinds of questions. Is God cordial? Yes. Is God competent, sincere, and trustworthy? Yes. Is God in full control? Yes. Is everything available to him? Yes. Does he know how damaged we are? Yes. Every question is answered with a definite “Yes.” With God, there’s not a single “hopefully,” “maybe,” “probably,” or “I don’t know.” The great difference is that the final result always matches his promise. We celebrate Lent because God makes reliable promises and keeps them. He promised to send the Messiah for our salvation, and he delivered. If God kept his greatest promise to us at the cost of his Son, will he not keep every other promise he has made? This week is a great time to review our faith and renew our hope in the promises of God.