Many of us have heard the story of the Israelite spies who went in to the Promised Land to scout it out. The Israelites had been promised this land by God since the time of Abraham. And yet when the spies came back to report to the people, all but two said it was impossible for them to defeat the many strong tribes that lived in the land. (Numbers 13)
What promises has God made to us today as Christians? There are so many promises so I will only mention a few:
God promises to never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13: 5)
He promises to provide a way out of temptation. (I Corinthians 10:13)
He promises to return. (Luke 12: 40)
God promises, if we ask, to give us wisdom. (James 1: 5)
He promises comfort in our trials (I Corinthians 1: 3-4)
The God we serve today is as faithful as He was in the days of Moses and Joshua. In I Thessalonians 5:24 Paul tells us:
"He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it."
We serve the same God today that the Israelites served. God made these marvelous promises to them of a promised land that flowed with milk and honey. He had shown Himself as a miracle worker. He had parted the Red Sea and provided food for them in the desert. He was faithful. And yet the majority of the spies said the task of gaining the Promised Land was impossible. They saw only the obstacles. And even sadder, the majority of the Israelites listened to them and did not remember the faithfulness of their God.
Why then today do we doubt, like the Israelites did, that He will fulfill His promises? We doubt because we listen to the doubters. We listen to those who point out the impossibility of God being able to fulfill His promises. Or we listen to the thoughts in our own head that doubt. We think that God's promises are for others but surely not for me. We see all the obstacles but we forget who is on our side. We forget God's faithfulness.
Paul reminds us in Romans 8: 31:
"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"
The answer to this question is a resounding, "No one!". Can't we look back in our lives and see God working in our lives just like the Israelites could have done? His most wonderous miracle is our salvation. Christ paid the penalty for our sins, by sacrificing His life on the cross, and forgives us when we accept His gift of grace. We are renewed by His everlasting love, freed from the bondage of our sins, and given the opportunity to follow Him in a life forever changed by His Holy Spirit. Yes, the Cross is where lives get changed!
If you do not have the love of Jesus in your life. If you are broken, sad, lonely, hopeless, in need of forgiveness, in need of a purpose and a promise, in need of something so much bigger than yourself, there is a promise made by God that is secure. In Him we find our rest. In Him we find our true life. Not the life that the world promises, but the truth of God and the love of God. We find a life that fills us with " joy inexpressible and full of glory" (I Peter 1:8b). God promises us that when we repent of our sins "He is faithful and just to forgive" (I John 1:9). That is a promise that gives hope.
We stand on the promises of God. Let us pray that we would not be like so many of the Israelites who doubted God even in the face of so many miracles. Let's pray that we trust God and not those who would make us doubt Him. Let's pray that God would remind us of His love and care, and for those who don't know God, let's remind them of His greatest promise - salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Enjoy this newer version of the old hymn, Standing on the Promises, by Candi Staton.
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