God's Promises

“So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.”  Hebrews 6:18

There once was a man who was known as a major cheapskate.  All his life, every time he got paid, he took $20 and put it under his mattress.  After many years, he got sick and was about to die.  As he was dying, he said to his wife “I want you to promise me one thing.”  “What?” she asked.  “I want you to promise me that when I’m dead you will take my money from under the mattress and put it in my casket so that I can take it all with me.”  After the man died, his wife kept her promise... She took the cash, went to the bank, deposited the money, and then wrote a check for the full amount.  And with a smile on her face, placed the check in the casket with her dead husband.

Promises can be wonderful.  When properly kept, they can strengthen friendships and change lives.  But as in the case of this clever wife, promises can also be twisted, manipulated, and outright broken.  Not the case with God.  When He promises something... you can count on it.  Hebrews 6:18 tells us that He is honest and good on His Word.  Let’s live our lives confident of this... that when we trust Him, He is worthy of it.  When He promises He’ll be there... He will be. 

Believe it.  

No Pain?

Isaac Brown looks like any other five year old boy.   He’s learning to read, do basic math, and all of the other things a boy his age would do.  But all is not what it seems…  because Isaac lacks what so many of us take for granted… the ability to feel pain.  He can unflinchingly touch a hot stove, break a bone without knowing it, or step on broken glass.  He knows that when he sees blood, it’s not a good thing… and he needs to seek help.   This extremely rare genetic condition, if not kept under watchful eye, could lead to accidental death or disfigurement due to the lack of a built-in survival mechanism.

Ironically, many in the world envy his circumstances…. they would love to go 24 hours without a single bit of pain.  And not just physical pain… people want to block out emotional and relational hurt as well.  What they fail to realize is that pain is useful.  When we touch a hot stove, the nerve endings signal the brain to remove the hand… thus preserving the skin and our health.  That pain has a purpose.   And no matter how badly you hurt today… yours does too.  Maybe you find yourself going through some other type of pain… a breakup… a loss… a memory of someone who used to abuse you… I want to challenge you to think of that pain differently today. James tells us in Chapter 1, verse 2, that our pain should be a source of joy.  Joy?  We should be happy when things hurt?  Why?  Because we know three things:  God will walk with us through that pain, we will grow as a result of hurting, and that our experience will help others in similar situations in the future.  So today, don’t just wish for the pain to subside… ask God to help you leverage it for growth… knowing that it is through our deepest hurts that our greatest and most life-changing lessons are learned.  

God's Promise

“So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.”  Hebrews 6:18

There once was a man who was known as a major cheapskate.  All his life, every time he got paid, he took $20 and put it under his mattress.  After many years, he got sick and was about to die.  As he was dying, he said to his wife “I want you to promise me one thing.”  “What?” she asked.  “I want you to promise me that when I’m dead you will take my money from under the mattress and put it in my casket so that I can take it all with me.”  After the man died, his wife kept her promise... She took the cash, went to the bank, deposited the money, and then wrote a check for the full amount.  And with a smile on her face, placed the check in the casket with her dead husband.

Promises can be wonderful.  When properly kept, they can strengthen friendships and change lives.  But as in the case of this clever wife, promises can also be twisted, manipulated, and outright broken.  Not the case with God.  When He promises something... you can count on it.  Hebrews 6:18 tells us that He is honest and good on His Word.  Let’s live our lives confident of this... that when we trust Him, He is worthy of it.  When He promises He’ll be there... He will be. 

Believe it.