Simple Thoughts On Promises

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Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed." (Isaiah 49:23)

The Bible says,

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5:5)

Abraham, called by God at around age 75, whilst living among moon worshippers was promised by God of many things of which one was:"To your offspring I will give this land." He did not see an offspring of his for the next 10 years and when he did, it was through his Egyptian maidservant turned wife Hagar. That was not the offspring of promise through his wife Sarah.

This must have been a good cause for disappointment and discouragement to Abraham. Yet the Bible says,

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead - since he was about a hundred years old - and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,

being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. (Romans 4:18-21)

Abraham,

1. Against all hope, in hope believed

2. Did not weaken in his faith

3. Did not waver through unbelief

4. Was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God

The waiting must have been a torture, but God rewarded him finally.

Much for us to learn.

In the promise for today, God says,

"Those who hope in me will not be disappointed."

Hope against hope and you will see a miracle. God bless you.

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With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (Isaiah 12:3)

Travelling through Samaria, Jesus came to a town called Sychar.

Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

The woman was perplexed and remarked, "You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,

but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

The Samaritan woman had a life changing experience speaking to the Author of salvation. She saw a new well and new waters. And she wanted to drink of it.

The Bible says,

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. (Isaiah 55:1, 2)

What a wonderful promise.

Are you drawing waters joyfully from the wells of salvation?

If you are, blessed are you.

If you have still not experienced this wonderful blessing, Jesus invites you today. He says,

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

Will you accept his invitation?

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God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)(NIV)

This verse ends uniquely in several Bible translations:

...well-proved help in trouble--Amplified Bible

...very much found to be a help in distresses--Green's Literal Translation

...a helper who is always found in times of trouble--Christian Std. Bible

...always ready to help in times of trouble--New Living Translation

...a very present help in trouble--KJV

And all of it is true to the hilt.

Well-proved help (as the Amplified Bible put it) seems to be quite appropriate because Jesus proves time and again that he is truly our Savior and in fact has saved us from what would otherwise have been death or destruction.

Is he a very much found to be a help in distresses (as the Green's Literal Translation says)? Yes he is and he does not go back on the promise in his Word-I will never leave you nor forsake you.

What about the phrase used in the Christian Std. Bible?

...a helper who is always found in times of trouble.

People; even our near and dear ones may seem helpless, but Jesus does help like only he can.

The New Living translation says-- God is always ready to help in times of trouble. Friends may find faults and hold back their helping hand, but Jesus never fails us.

Like the Christian Std. Bible, the NIV also mentions God to be an ever-present help, meaning that he is always there with us from the beginning of the trouble to the end of it.

And the original KJV says that God is a very present help in trouble--If the question is--who comes to the scene first? when a child of God falls into trouble....The answer is clear. It's their Savior, Jesus Christ.

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I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. (Luke 24:49)

The promise was of the Holy Spirit and the disciples waited as Jesus asked them to. The Bible says,

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. (Acts 1:14)

They didn't know what exactly was going to happen, but they must have remembered Jesus' words...clothed with power from on high.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4)

This was not the only occasion when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts cites several occasions where the disciples experienced what Jesus had promised them--being clothed with power from on high.

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. (Acts 4:31)

Have you experienced the power of Pentecost in your life as the disciples did?

The Apostle Paul writing to Timothy exhorted him saying,

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)

Power, love & self-discipline. Can you identify yourself with that? The presence of the Holy Spirit in you will bring godly power, love that is godly and self-control.

Our Savior, before his ascension, told his disciples:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

Is the power of the Holy Spirit upon your life? Are you able to witness strongly? Can you speak the Word of God boldly as the disciples did when they were filled with the Holy Spirit?

If you are lacking the power, the remedy is simple. Ask..., Jesus said and you will receive. He also said,

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13)

Ask...Seek...Knock....Be clothed with power from on high. The power of Pentecost is for you too.

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The angel of the LORD also said to her: "You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." (Genesis 16:12)

Ultrasound scanning machines of this age sometimes do predict wrongly the sex of a child in the womb. Back in the good old days when there were no such machines around, heaven prophesied that Hagar, the Egyptian maidservant turned wife of Abraham would deliver a baby boy who would be called Ishmael and that when he grew up he would be a wild donkey of a man. Prophesy the sex, name and ability of the one to be born and be perfect in the outcome of all the things prophecied. Isn't that wonderful?

Hagar had received these prophecies from heaven and later God had promised Abraham to bless this son of his.

And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. (Genesis 17:20)

Yet some years later Ishmael was on the verge of death being expelled from home with his mother and in the wilderness without food and water.

Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she thought, "I cannot watch the boy die." And as she sat there nearby, she began to sob. (Genesis 21:16)

But God does not forget the promises he makes; neither does he need help from others to fulfill it. So we find an angel helping Hagar out.

God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation." Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. (Genesis 21:17-20)

Still later, the Bible gives an account of the progeny of Ishmael.

These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers according to their settlements and camps. (Genesis 25:13-16)

What God promised Hagar & Abraham, he fulfilled at the right time. He will fulfill what he has promised you too. Trust in him. God bless.

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For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14)

Sometimes it's so difficult to forgive; especially when the wound is deep in the spirit. The physical pain or the mental agony or both endured can bring bitterness, rage and an attitude of vengence and this can last for years. There are many who justify the keeping of such feelings but the Bible advocates forgiveness.

The extent to which a person can forgive the offender varies and in the case of believer's it depends on spiritual maturity.

Bitterness, rage and a vengeful attitude caused by an unforgiving attitude can often bring about bodily sickness to the one having it.

The Biblical viewpoint regarding forgiveness is clear. For God to forgive our sins, we must forgive the sins that others commit against us.

Once Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18:21, 22)

Jesus also said, "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." (Mark 11:25)

And how must the forgiveness be? Often we may forgive others with our words, yet we may hold a grudge against them.

Jesus warned his disciples regarding such an attitude saying,

"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." (Matthew 18:35)

So forgiveness that God expects is that which comes from the heart. Difficult yet possible because God has given the Holy Spirit to those who believe in Jesus.

And may God give us the spiritual strength needed to have a forgiving attitude at all times.

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And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

Needs are basic human requirements. People need food, air, water, clothing, and shelter to survive. Basic amenities in the household are also needs. Education is another need, so also some basic means of travel. The above needs become wants when they are directed to specific things that might satisfy the need. A person who needs good and clean food for maintaining his/her health may desire rich and costly foods which may not really bring him/her benefits. He can survive with other food but this is what he wants. Excesses are wants for specific things that we don't actually need but may only enhance our lifestyle.

In the verse that we read above, the Apostle Paul says that God will meet all our needs. Doesn't mean that God will give us the latest and fastest cars or the most posh apartments in town. Of course he may give us that if he so chooses but the promise is for providing all our needs.

There are many who preach and stress that God gives the best if you do this or that, but that hardly lines up with the Word of God.

Jesus even exhorted his disciples to seek first the kingdom of God and therein their needs would be met.

God knows our needs. He is a loving father. He will not withold anything that is needed by us in our life. He cares for us since we have put our trust in him. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he said,

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:7,8)

Yes, God the Father knows what you need before you ask him. One of the simple requests in this prayer as taught by Jesus was:

Give us today our daily bread. (Matthew 6:11)

Any other need can be similarly prayed for and met.

Could it be so simple? Yes it can be, if we truly consider God as our Father.

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And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

The phrases used by Apostle Paul in the above verse are excellent...all grace abound to you, in all things.., at all times.., having all that you need..., you will abound...

It all starts with "And God is able to make all grace abound to you."

But Paul's exhortation regarding "giving" by the believers in the Church at Corinth is found in this chapter just before the verse given above. He told them:

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:6, 7)

The sowing principle is stressed upon here. It does not mention tithing but emphasizes the fact that God loves and rewards a cheerful giver. The heart attitude is important.

Give to whom? Paul lauded the Corinthian believers for their eagerness to give to all- God's servants, needy believers and generally others in need.

For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. (2 Corinthians 9:2)

Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. (2 Corinthians 9:13)

Giving does not begin or end with tithing. Each man/woman should give what he/she has decided in his heart to give.

Giving not only refreshes the hearts of the needy, but as Paul mentions later in the chapter....This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. (2 Corinthians 9:12)

Our giving with a cheerful heart also overflows in many expressions of thanks to God. God in fact gave us his greatest gift Jesus for whom the Apostle gives thanks to God as he ends the chapter saying:

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)

Let's not forget then that...God is able to make all grace abound to us, so that in all things at all times, having all that we need, we will abound in every good work.

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Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed." (2 Kings 5:10)

This was the prophetic promise given to Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram when he had come seeking for a cure for his leprosy from the man of God Elisha.

Elisha did not come out to meet Naaman but had only sent a servant to give him the message. Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage. (2 Kings 5:11, 12)

Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. (2 Kings 5:13, 14)

Obedience brought him healing and deliverance and he returned to his country a happy man.

To a disobedient king of Israel (Saul), God had this to say through Samuel the prophet:

"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22)

The Apostle Peter exhorts us regarding obedience in his epistle:

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. (1 Peter 1:14)

God expects us to be obedient to his Word at all times. God delights in our obedience and his blessings rest upon us when we live in obedience to him. Praise the Lord.

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So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. (1 Corinthians 15:42-44)

Our human body ages after every day that we spend on earth. Sickness makes the body weaker as we get older and finally the time comes when the natural body becomes aged enough to be sown. Some natural bodies are untimely sown too. Sown natural, sown in weakness, sown in dishonor and sown perishable.

But the difference is marked with the sown natural body of an unbeliever and that of a believer in Jesus Christ. An unbeliever's body is raised spiritual and imperishable but neither in power nor in glory. The believer's body as Paul says here is raised up spiritual, imperishable, in glory and in power.

That was how Jesus was raised up. He is the "firstfruits" of the resurrection. He was raised up spiritual, imperishable, in glory and in power.

Here's a part from the gospel of Luke where Jesus appeared to his disciples after the resurrection....raised up spiritual, imperishable, in glory and in power.

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. (Luke 24:36- 43)

And the Bible says,

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:11)

That's the blessed hope for every believer. Praise the Lord.