Every time I look upwards toward the heavens, I am amazed by the display of God’s perfect creation, incredible power and brilliant majesty. The stunning solar eclipse that we recently experienced in parts of North America is a testimony to His greatness…despite all the chaos happening around us on earth, God is still in control. Scientists tell us that our universe is a well-oiled machine, one that keeps working in perfect harmony without any help from mankind. In fact, it is man who is continually messing things up! The impact felt by climate change around the world is proof of that, not to mention the devastation currently felt by conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and the Ukraine.
Even though our family and friends will sometimes disappoint us and let us down, we can always be sure of God’s promises. In the book of Genesis, the rainbow following the great flood is one of the earliest examples of this…God promised Noah and his family that the earth would never again be destroyed by a cataclysmic flood. And to this day, it never has! There are rumoured to be over 30,000 promises made by God in the Holy Bible, but I would like to address just a handful here today:
1. The greatest promise that God made to man has to be eternal salvation. In John 3:16, the apostle John records: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” If we choose to believe in and follow Jesus Christ as our Saviour, inviting Him into our hearts, and asking for forgiveness of our sins, we have the certainty of everlasting life in Heaven after we die. It does not matter who we are, where we live, what we look like, or how much money we make, this assurance is for all people, everywhere. In fact, Jesus said “…it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24) In truth, God hates pride and arrogance but He loves those with a contrite and humble spirit.
2. We are never alone if we are God believers. Deuteronomy 31:6 says: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Just as God was with Moses, Joshua and the Israelites throughout the Great Exodus out of Egypt, while they wandered for forty years in the Sinai desert, and when they finally captured and came into Canaan, the Promised Land, He is also with us today. He promises to be by our side, fighting for us, no matter what trials or tribulations befall us.
3. God is our protector and our strength. This includes not only our physical protection and strength, but also mental, emotional and spiritual blessings through Christ. Isaiah 40:29-31 says: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” God places a hedge of protection around us that no one, not even Satan himself, can penetrate. I sometimes ponder just how many times God has saved my own life…it is more than I can even think about or imagine. Not only did I escape totally unscathed from a terrible car accident when I was a teenager, but I fled several times from an abusive first marriage, where I often feared for my life. God sent His earthly and heavenly angels, at just the right time, to guide and protect me. He also gave me the fortitude to do what I knew I had to do.
4. God (Jehovah Jireh) is our provider in all things. Philippians 4:19 says: “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” I love the passage in Matthew 6:25-34, telling us not to worry: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?…” Truer words were never spoken. It is such a privilege and a relief to give all of our troubles over to God!
5. As Christians, God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. Jeremiah 29:11-13 reads: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'” We can always be sure that God wants the best for us and is listening to us when we look to Him for guidance. Unfortunately, we often get off course along our journey, and as a result, do not always reap the rewards He has in store for us. The good thing is that it is NEVER too late to turn our lives around with God’s help!
6. Psalm 37:4 states: “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” What a wonderful promise…God listens to the petitions of our mouth and heart, and if it is His will, He will grant them to us in due order!
7. Jesus Christ is our ultimate healer and is known as the Great Physician. In the Bible, Jesus healed many people and also raised several people from the dead, including his dear friend, Lazarus of Bethany. Although Jesus does not walk the earth today, the Holy Spirit (who lives within us) can heal us, if it is God’s will. As a nurse, I fully believe in science and medicine, and I know how important it is to take care of our mind, body and soul; however, I know for sure that miracles of healing can and still do happen in this day and age.
8. God is the author and finisher of our faith. What exactly does this mean? When we pray to Jesus, asking forgiveness of our sins, and inviting Him into our hearts to live forever, our journey of faith begins. Jesus is the beginning and also the perfecter of our faith. What He starts He will complete. Some of us are slower learners than others, so it may take us longer to get to where we need to be! The good news is that Jesus will never give up on us! He will never leave us where we began. Hebrews 12:1-2 states: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…”
These are only a few of the many, many promises that God has given to us as His children. “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 1:20) Truly, we can rest assured that His promises are “Yes and Amen”! Our God is faithful.
