Simple Thoughts On Promises

[jeremiah7]

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 181

I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. (Genesis 17:6)

Another promise given by the Lord Almighty to Abram when he was 99 years old. But God had certain requirements from Abram's life. He said,

"I am God Almighty ; walk before me and be blameless. (Genesis 17:1)

A blameless walk is not easily achieved but we can always strive to acheieve it with the help of the Holy Spirit who comes and resides in us when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

The psalmist David took such a decision in his life as we read in Psalms 101:

I will be careful to lead a blameless life - when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart. (Psalm 101:2)

And definitely the Bible pronounces several blessings on the blameless.

The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever. (Psalm 37:18)

Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. (Psalm 37:37)

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. (Psalm 84:11)

Now and often, it is imperative for us as believers to check our own lives whether we are walking before the Lord with a blameless heart.

Abraham's walk was blameless, so all the promises that God gave him were fulfilled.

It would be the same for us too.

The Lord delights in those whose ways are blameless. The Bible says,

He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless. (Proverbs 2:7)

May that come true in the lives of all of us. God bless.

[jeremiah7]

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 182

For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. (Isaiah 54:7)

Do you feel forsaken by the Lord? Israel did; and that too on several occasions. It was their fault most of the times.

Why doesn't God act instantaneously in some situation when we need him to? It may be anything from finances to our relationship with our spouse/children. Why the delay when we spend enough time in prayer, worship and meditation of the Word? Why the build up of nerve shattering tension?

How many more lessons in faith are to be learnt? Why does one finally give into satanic temptations? Could have been avoided if God arranged favorable circumstances. These are some of the thoughts that trouble believer's many a time.

But we must remember some of the things that the Bible says, especially this part in Psalm 103.

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:8-14)

Without the Lord's help each moment, we are vulnerable to failure easily. Take the great prophet Elijah. One day, he comes down on King Ahab & the prophets of Baal with all guns blazing and the next day, he's depressed and wants to die because the wife of Ahab, queen Jezebel threatened to kill him. All the fire of yesterday seemed to have vanished into thin air.

It's all grace, dear Brother/Sister in Christ.

Whatever your situation today, believe in this promise from the Bible:

He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. (Psalm 103:9,10)

With great mercies he will gather you. God bless.

[jeremiah7]

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 183

Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. (Psalm 31:23)

The Lord preserves the faithful. How wonderful!

When Aaron & Miraim, Moses' elder brother and sister spoke against him, God came down to speak for Moses. Wouldn't it be great if God was our spokesman?

Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, he said, "Listen to my words: "When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" (Numbers 12:5-8)

And the end result was:

The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them. When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam - leprous, like snow. (Numbers 12:9,10)

Faithful Moses had an immediate problem on his hands. He couldn't possibly leave his sister as she was, even though it was her fault for which she was suffering.

So Moses cried out to the LORD, "O God, please heal her!" The LORD replied to Moses, "If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back." (Numbers 12:13,14)

Moses had earlier interceded for his brother when God decided to blot his name out of his book for sinning against the Lord by making a golden calf and leading the Israelites astray. Now here he was interceding for his sister.

And because Moses was faithful, his prayers were heard and many a crises averted.

Yes, God will preserve the faithful.

The Bible says,

For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever....(Psalm 37:28)

It's my prayer that we be found faithful in the Lord's eyes. Amen.

[jeremiah7]

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 184

"This is the LORD's sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz." So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down. (Isaiah 38:8)

(Ahaz

[jeremiah7]

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 185

Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. (Acts 27:23-25)

The Apostle Paul and 275 others were travelling to Italy in a ship which got hit by a storm called the "northeaster." The ship took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, they finally gave up all hope of being saved.

That was when Paul stood up and gave them the message that we read in the title verse.

After more than 14 days of experiencing the terrors of nature, they decided to run the ship aground if they could and finally they swam to safety when the ship's bow got stuck and wouldn't move.Once safely on shore, they found out that the island was called Malta. Unknown to him, God had arranged some missionary work for Paul on this island. Many people were healed when Paul prayed for them. After 3 months, they (Paul & Luke) sailed to Rome and when they reached there, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

And Luke ends the book of Acts by writing:

For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 28:30,31)

The faithfulness of God when he gives a promise is clearly outlined here. Amidst chaos and impending death on the high sea, God promised Paul that he will stand trial before Caesar in Rome. God saved not only Paul & Luke the Physician who wrote the book of Acts, but also the 274 others on the ship as he had promised Paul.

When we see only the present with our restricted senses, God sees and knows our future. He has already been there where we will only be later. Here and now or there and when, he will be with us at all times. Great is his faithfulness.

God bless.

[jeremiah7]

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 186

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4, 5)

Prophesying more than 800 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, Isaiah the prophet prophesies the atoning sacrifice of our Lord, carrying our griefs, our sorrows, our transgressions, our iniquities and our peacelessness. Some translations mention infirmities instead of griefs.

And Jesus, when he started preaching regarding the kingdom of God gave an invitation that still bears fruit though more than 2000 years have passed since he uttered it. He said,

"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)

This is not a temporary rest that Jesus invites all to. The Bible says,

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. (Hebrews 4:9,10)

O! What a glorious day that will be for each of us who believe and live for the Lord. An eternal rest of which the Bible says,

"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:3,4)

The author of the book of Hebrews exhorts all who believe in the Lord regarding entering the eternal rest in this manner:

Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:11)

Let us not be like most of the Israelites who left Egypt for Canaan. Although they were delivered from Pharaoh and the Egyptians by God Almighty, they were not allowed to enter their rest- Canaan because of their unbelief and disobedience.

God promises all those who believe and are obedient to him by saying,

He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. (Revelation 21:7)

Praise the Lord.

[alljoy123]

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 1

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. (Genesis 28:15)

Promised by God to Jacob and fulfilled by God. God is faithful and will fulfill that which he has promised you even though it may take some time.

amen

[martins78]

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 1

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. (Genesis 28:15)

Promised by God to Jacob and fulfilled by God. God is faithful and will fulfill that which he has promised you even though it may take some time.

This is exactly what I needed to read today. Bless You. The same applies for every Christian. If you make a promise you need to follow through on it.

Wow...Thank you

[jeremiah7]

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 1

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. (Genesis 28:15)

Promised by God to Jacob and fulfilled by God. God is faithful and will fulfill that which he has promised you even though it may take some time.

This is exactly what I needed to read today. Bless You. The same applies for every Christian. If you make a promise you need to follow through on it.

Wow...Thank you

[jeremiah7]

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 187

"Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book." (Revelation 22:7)

"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. (Revelation 22:12)

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)

Time and again it is imperative that every believer reads these verses from the book of Revelation in which Jesus affirms and reaffirms that he is coming back.

Are you waiting expectantly for his coming? Are you preparing yourself for his coming? The time for the Wedding of the Lamb is drawing near.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are the true words of God." (Revelation 19:7-9)

Did you notice this part of the above verses?

"For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready."

You are a part of the bride if you have accepeted Jesus as your Savior and are living for him day after him, being obedient to his Word and the Holy Spirit.

The Bible says,

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17)

The bride is getting ready and so is the bridegroom. The big day is drawing near. Will you be there to meet your bridegroom Jesus? Hope you would be there. God bless.