The Promises of God

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NKJV)

What is a promise? Merriam-Webster defines promise as “a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified”. It is an agreement to complete an action or to stop doing or saying particular words. Many times, we make promises to friends, family and those around us. A father may promise his daughter that they will go for ice-cream. Husbands and wives promise that they will love each other till death do them part. God has also made promises in His Word to us.

As I reflected on the promises of God, the song, “Promises” by Maverick City Music came to mind. It begins with this verse, “God of Abraham, You're the God of covenant and of faithful promises. Time and time again, You have proven, You’ll do just what You said.” Just reading these lyrics, causes you to just be in awe of the faithfulness of God. He is the God of covenant and the keeper of promises. He is not a man that He would lie. He is not someone who would make promises but would never fulfil them. I am sure that you could think of persons in your own life who made promises to you but did not commit to it resulting in disappointment or fear that it may happen again. God is not like man. In the Bible, we see many examples of where God kept His word to an individual or to a people. Let’s look at a few of them.

Abraham and Sarah

In Genesis 12, God gave Abraham instructions to leave his country and go to a land promised by Him.  Along with these instructions, God promised that He would make him a great nation and that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him. This was a great promise given to Abraham. However, many years went by, and Abraham still was without children. Sarah, his wife was growing old and the possibility of her becoming a mother seemed very unlikely. I’m sure that they saw everyone around them having children of their own and began to question if they heard God correctly. Could this be true? Did God really say this? Maybe He was speaking about someone else. Maybe He got it wrong. Maybe we have been forgotten. Imagine Sarah seeing her family members and servants pregnant. Yet still, she was barren. However, they received a word from God.

In Genesis 18:10, we see the promise that Sarah would have a son. The word was even more specific. The Lord visited Sarah and fulfilled the word that He had spoken. In Genesis 21, the birth of Isaac displays the faithfulness of God toward Abraham and Sarah. It reveals the kindness and goodness of God and is the very evidence that He can be trusted. I pray that the Lord would visit you today and that you would see the fulfilment of His promises.

“And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken.” Genesis 21:1 (NKJV)

The Rainbow of Covenant

And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Genesis 9:12-17 (NKJV)

In the days of Noah, the wickedness of man was great. It was so severe that God was grieved, and He decided to destroy man in a great flood. However, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. After the flood, God made a covenant, a promise to Noah and his descendants. This promise was that waters would never flood the earth again. Now I want you to think back over the years. Has the entire earth been flooded with water that many people died? Has it been flooded since the day Noah exited the ark? It hasn’t! God kept His promise and He is still keeping it to this day. It is evident that God does not lie and whatever He has promised, He will bring to pass.

What are some promises that you have received? What are those prophetic words that you received over the years? I encourage you to go back to them and remind yourself of the promises that God has made concerning you. He has not forgotten His word. He has not forgotten you. Whatever He has spoken concerning your life will indeed come to pass in the appointed time. All we need to do, is to trust Him. He will not fail and He is faithful and able to accomplish His word. He is the promise keeper.

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11 (NKJV)