“And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.” (Joshua 21:44-45)
I recently saw an advertisement for a book discussing all the promises of the Bible. This was a rather small publication, considering the fact that the Bible itself is a Book of Promises. One individual has stated, regarding his own Bible reading: “I read until I find a promise, and then I claim it.” While this sounds good to the hearer, the statement glosses over the fact that not all the Bible’s promises are open-ended. Many of the promises have already been fulfilled; and this is where we find their faith-building importance.
The fact is that God has given us a record of His dealing with His people. That God deals on the personal level is a source of encouragement to His children. Even more so is the fact that our Lord has made great promises to us. The Biblical record is the résumé that God has preserved to not only give us promises, but also to show us that He has never failed on His Promises. In short, the Bible is not only a Book of Promise; it is a Book of Proof. We have confidence in the promise of a faithful God.
But what happens when we don’t see the fulfillment of God’s promises in our life? This does not mean that God has not kept His Word. In fact, it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18). We need to understand also that our own faith does not predicate God’s ability to perform His Word. Rather, there may be conditions on the promise that we are not meeting. Or maybe we do not understand the nature of the promise and its fulfillment. This spiritual blindness will cause us to doubt God, even when He has performed His Word. We think God has forsaken us or let us down, simply because we don’t see results.
One prominent aspect of the Genesis creation story is that “God said” and it was. We are told that all things were made by the Word of God (John 1:1-3); that He framed the worlds by that same Word (Hebrews 11:3). It is evident then that such power resides in God’s Word that there must be a performance of His Promise. If God said it, it will be done. He will keep his Word. He will fulfill His Promise.
We have then the assurance that God is faithful to the promises He has made to His children. This assurance lies in:
- The fact that God has promised and cannot lie;
- The fact that God’s Word must come to pass, due to the very power of that Word;
- The fact that He has not, cannot, and will not fail in any of His Promises.
Every good thing which He has spoken shall come to pass. Nothing has ever failed; nothing will ever fail.
Child of God, are you trusting in the Promise of God to perform a mighty work in your life? Be encouraged in your waiting, knowing that God is faithful to perform that which He has spoken.
“For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass...” (Ezekiel 12:25).
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