promises, promises…

So often, we hear what too often sounds like rhetoric: “God’s promise in my life.” What does that really mean?

Sometimes, we give blanket statements about God’s promises in our lives. What exactly is that promise?

We’re not wrong: God has a promise for our lives. But what, specifically, is that promise? Yes, we know we have faith in the Lord, and we know that through faith, we will one day rise and meet Him in the Kingdom Triumphant. We know the promise that good wins over evil, and that any war waged against God is lost. And praise God for that. Simply put: We can rest our spirits on the fact and faith that God wins, that Love wins, that Good wins.

Perhaps, though, we’re too quick to chalk up “God’s promise” as a single event in our lives or some sort of Calvinist predetermination — “God has a reason for everything” — statement. Maybe let’s look at the promise.

Or, actually, promises:

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

“By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” 2 Peter 1:4

“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.” 2 Corinthians 1:20

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

“In hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began.” Titus 1:2

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:18

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1

“And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” Acts 2:38–39

“This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:50–71

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.” John 6:47–50

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:29

There are more: Matthew 6:9–13, John 6:67–71, John 4:24, 1 John 5:3, John 20:19–23, Matthew 9:6–8, 1 Kings 8:56, 1 John 4:1, Proverbs 16:1–33, 1 John 3:1–3 ESV, Ephesians 2:8, Psalm 138:2, Psalm 139:7–10, John 16:1–8, John 14:26, John 14:21, John 14:9, John 10:10, John 4:21–24, Matthew 7:7–11, Isaiah 53:1–12, Exodus 15:26, 1 John 2:1–29, 1 Peter 3:18–22, 1 Peter 2:1–25, 2 Thessalonians 2:14–15, Colossians 3:18–19, Galatians 5:14, Galatians 3:21, 1 Corinthians 12:13, 1 Corinthians 11:25, 1 Corinthians 2:1–16, Romans 14:11, Acts 16:31, John 16:33, John 3:1–5, John 3:1–36, Psalm 119:1–176, Joshua 23:14, Genesis 26:3, Genesis 15:1–21, Genesis 1:27, 1 John 5:16–17, Hebrews 11:1–40, Hebrews 4:16, Hebrews 1:1–2, 2 Timothy 3:15–17, 1 Timothy 2:8–15, Acts 4:12, John 14:6, Genesis 2:7, Revelation 12:1–2, Revelation 11:19, 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Thessalonians 1:1–12, Colossians 1:1–29, John 4:1–54, John 1:49, Luke 22:20, Mark 14:24, Mark 4:39 andGenesis 1:1.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to compile these —www.openbible.info did.

How blessed are we? There’s not one promise. There aren’t two. There aren’t 10. There are countless more — including all these above. Praise God for them!

We, as His beloved, cherished and blessed children, can speak of God’s promise in our life with sincere and fully-faithful conviction. Maybe we should speak more of “promises.”

The only promise you need to know in your life is that God has you — He holds you through the blood of His son Jesus, who died for you — you! — on the cross. So that you would have eternal life.

That’s an amazing promise. The victory is won. In your life, and in the world.

Go forward and live the blessing, read through His promises, look back on your life and see where His promise stood firm — they always do. And look with excitement, love and joy on your footsteps ahead of you.

Yes, God’s got you; He’s got this; He’s got everything.

He promises.