Promises, promises. Daily Devotional - December 17, 2009

Daily Bible Reading: Job 21, Zephaniah 3, 1 John 3-4
　
I am the type of person who would rather under-commit and over-deliver than over-commit and under-deliver. I have realized that even the smallest promise broken can bring a big disappointment. We have all faced broken promises in one way or another - which is why sometimes it can be hard to fathom the promises that God provides through His word.

The amazing thing about God is that He does not make little promises. His promises (although at times contingent upon our obedience or faith) are always big but never unreliable. Our friends can promise a phone call and forget, our parents could promise they will be at our sporting event and something else could come up...but God promises BIG, HUGE, UNFATHOMABLE promises that He fully intends on keeping! HEALING. FORGIVENESS. ETERNAL LIFE. SALVATION! On top of the major things he promises, he always seems to catch me off guard with promises like the one in John: 3:21:

"Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight."

He could have just promised that some of the things we ask for we will receive from Him and that would have still been a pretty cool promise. Yet, he promises that if we are keeping His commandments we will receive whatever we ask from Him. He makes this promise again in Matthew 7:7, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

Do we have the faith, obedience and persistence it takes to claim this amazing promise? Maybe I am not at the level of receive whatever I ask for yet, but I will keep striving for this promise knowing that my God doesn’t not make promises lightly.

One of my sister’s called me last night to tell me that her son was in the ER having seizures. He had over 25 seizures yesterday, and it was a very scary situation for everyone. At that time, a faith rose up inside of me to believe that God doesn’t just want to give the doctor’s wisdom, but he wants me to claim a promise of healing over my 5 year old nephew. I got a text in the morning letting me know that since I had prayed over the phone for him, he hadn’t had a seizure all night or that morning. It was a huge breakthrough! Although he has had a couple today, I am keeping obedience, persistence and faith in God. He does not over-commit and under-deliver. I will continually remind myself of Numbers 23:19

"God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"

What promise are you believing God for today? Thanks for reading,
Mel

Tomorrow’s reading: Job 22, Haggai 1, 1 John 5