Is it possible that every promise made by God was perfectly kept? The message from Pastor Chris was loud and clear; Our God keeps His promises. Pastor Chris shared this amazing truth with us this past Sunday.
It is undeniably true; He really does keep His promises. Even when we can’t see it today or even if it doesn’t happen in our lifetime, He doesn’t forget and He never changes His mind. If God has every made a promise, He intends to keep it.
On Sunday, we studied Joshua 21:41-44. It is important to recall that these words were spoken after the years of defiance and disobedience, after stories of rebellion and murmuring against Moses and God, and after 40 years of wilderness wandering. In reality, Israel had tried to put their covenant with God out of their minds by their idolatrous ways. Even after God gave them the land of Canaan, they went back to idols. So it is after Israel seemingly did all they could to mess things up that we read these astounding words at the end of Joshua’s life:
“So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.”
Remember that the promises Joshua is referring to dated back hundreds of years. All the way back, in fact, to the early chapters of the book of Genesis where God chooses Abraham, promising Him abundant descendants, a national legacy, and land for each subsequent generation to come. Abraham acted on these promises, trusting the Lord, but the author of Hebrews 11:13 says this: Abraham and his wife, Sarah, “were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised.” They had one son, Isaac, but that hardly seemed like a promising start to a nation populated by their descendants—to say nothing of the fact that they never inherited the land.
But their story didn’t end there. From Joshua’s vantage point and on his side of history, he had the great privilege of seeing that God in His perfect time had kept His promises! God hadn’t forgotten. He hadn’t lost the list of the things He promised to give to Abraham. And so Joshua, standing in the land promised to Abraham, surrounded by the descendants of Abraham, could marvel and praise God. No promises were left unfulfilled. Not one of them had failed. AMEN.
Today we are so programmed to expect instant gratification. From instant credit to ATM machines to high-speed Internet and fast-food restaurants, we are wired to expect everything we need and want now. If we don’t get what we want immediately, our blood pressure starts to rise! But God’s timelines are different than our imperfect expectations.
So stand strong! If He said it, claim it and cling to it. You can believe it. You can have confidence because the one thing you can count on is God’s faithfulness. We have the trustworthy witness of history and of Scripture that none of His promises will fail. I am reminded of the words Paul wrote to Timothy when he affirmed that though we are often faithless, God will be faithful to us because He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13).
Questions for thought:
- What promises of God are you counting on?
- How can a fascination with the here and now derail your faithfulness to God and His promises?
- Make a list of His life-changing promises. If you need a head start, read Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 8:28; Philippians 4:19; and Hebrews 13:5-6.
Tom Renew
Deeper In God’s Word
Resources:
Ron Moore – The Journey – Life Uncertain
Bibleportal.com – Joshua 21
George H. Harris – Did God Fulfill Every Promise?