God keeps His Promises

 

By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Joshua 15-21

 

Numbers 23:19

God is not man, that he should lie,
    or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
    Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

(ESV)

 

The airwaves on radio and television are alive, not with the sound of music, but with the sound of promises.  It is a campaign year in the United States and a time when we should thank those that invented the DVR and the opportunity to record our favorite show and scan through the campaign commercials.  The most interesting thing about the campaign promises saturating the airwaves is that they seem to be the same promises heard during the previous campaign, indicating that these promises were not fulfilled.  Fortunately, God’s promises are never left unfulfilled and something we can depend upon. 

 

Joshua 15-21 is another one of those passages of scripture people either skip or skim through when reading and studying the Book of Joshua.  However, when taken in the context of Jewish history, the passage is a victory lap demonstrating that God does keep His promises to his people.  God promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that their descendants would be numerous (Genesis 15:5; 22:17; 32:12) and that they would occupy the land of Canaan (Genesis 15:18-21; 26:2-5; 28:10-15). 

 

While God does keep every promise that he makes in the Bible, there is usually a waiting period between God making the promise and its fulfillment during which God strengthens us (Isaiah 40:31).  Some of God’s promises are also ongoing such as promising to meet our needs (Philippians 4:19), His promise to be with us always (Matthew 28:20), and his promise to empower us to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8).  These ongoing promises are there to encourage us as we encounter struggles in our lives, another promise of God coming with the encouragement that Jesus has overcome the world through his resurrection (John 16:33). 

 

During the chaotic times of Covid19, riots in the streets, and political uncertainty, we must not place our faith in empty promises but place our trust in the certain promises of God.  However, we must remember that while we would like God to fulfill His promises to us instantly, God has His timing and plan for our lives and usually makes us wait, strengthening us as we wait (Isaiah 40:31; James 1:2-4; Romans 5:3-5).  We must also rest in knowing that whatever happens in our lives is part of God’s plan for our lives and that God’s plan for us is not for our harm, but our good (Jeremiah 29:11). 

 

The ultimate promise of God is the return of Jesus to rid the world of evil, something Christians are to remind each other of as a means of encouragement (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).  Therefore, as we continue to go through these chaotic times, we must remind ourselves that God is always with us (Matthew 28:20) and that God has our best interests at hand (Jeremiah 29:11).  These are chaotic and uncertain times and why we need to depend on the sure promises of God instead of the empty promises of people running for office.  May God bless everyone reading this post.