Promise: July 14, 2014

TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY JULY 14, 2014

PROMISE

DEFINITION:

A declaration that something will or will not be done; a pledge; a vow; a covenant; to pledge or give assurance.

SCRIPTURE:

And this is the promise that He has promised us, eternal life. I John 2:25.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

God has given us hundreds of promises in His Word and none of them have been broken. When Joshua was old and knew his life was about over, he gave a farewell speech to the Children of Israel. He said in Joshua 23:14, “You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled and not one has failed.”

Throughout the Bible God has made promises and when God makes a promise it is never broken.

In the Old Testament God made two very significant promises long ago which continue to bear witness to the world today that God keeps His promises.

In Genesis 9:12-15 God said to Noah, “this is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, and for perpetual generations; I set My rainbow in the cloud and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth --- that the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.”

And in Genesis 12: 2-3 God told Abraham, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; I will bless those that bless you; I will curse those that curse you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

In both of these passages God made a promise that He has kept. In His promise to Noah He said He would send a rainbow after a storm to remind us that He would never destroy the earth with a flood. God kept His promise to Abraham by making him a great nation [Israel] and making his name great.

But the greatest promise ever made was the promise made by God to send His only Son to this earth to pay the penalty for the sins of everyone who has or will live on this earth so that they might have eternal life. This promise of eternal life is for everyone who is willing to first ask God for forgiveness for their sins and then accept Jesus into their heart and enter into a personal relationship with Him.

In life today so many people make promises that are not kept. Parents promise certain things to children and then do not follow through. Every day spouses make promises, families make promises, neighbors make promises, bosses make promises and for the most part they disregard the promises as if they were never made.

Many parents do not realize the positive impact that is made on a child’s mind when promises are made and kept. When promise are made and not kept there is a negative impact that can have long term repercussions. When you keep promises you will be considered reliable and trustworthy and looked up to as a person of integrity.

God set the example in keeping His promises with Noah and Abraham and as Christians God expects nothing less from us. Each of us should take the time now and think about the promises we have made and not kept and do all we can to honor our promises in the future.

From this day on we need to commit to make promises that we are sure we can honor. Relationships are put in jeopardy when promises are not kept. Marriage vows are a promise to love, honor and to be faithful as long as both husband and wife shall live. Oh, how often that promise is broken. It is time to right the wrongs and honor your promises.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in
Romans 8:18.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

PRAYER:

Thank You that You are a faithful God who keeps all Your promises. Thank You for fulfilling Your promise to send Your only Son to die on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins so that I can know that all my sins are forgiven and that I have received Your promised gift of eternal life. Thank You for Your promise to never leave or forsake those who love You.