Faith in God, Trust in His Promises
美佳之窗 His Window 93（ Jan - Mar 2021 ）
Text by Pastor Matthew
As believers, we are so accustomed to hearing this phrase, “The promises of God.” It appears in almost every facet of Christian life, from our conversations, to the sermons, to our prayers, and even Bible studies. But, what about the promises of God that sometimes seems elusive and absent, although very much preached about and believed in? Let us, take a look at some scriptures concerning the promises of God, in hopes that we will be able to better understand what really are God’s promises to us.
1. Consistent Promise
The Bible is a book all about God’s promises. And one very important element that we need to understand, in regards to God’s promises, is that they are consistent. While His promise from one person to another may vary in terms of how God does things and what He promises what God promises to you specifically, remains consistent and unchanging. Malachi 3:6-7 gives us a very encouraging and promising picture of God, when the Lord Himself tells the post-exilic Israelites that, “I the Lord do not change.” In verse 7, there is a comparison between God and man, with the latter being prone to changes and inconsistency.
When it comes to the promises of God, it always is consistent. What God says He will do for you, He will do. Situations may change, humans will change, but these external circumstances will not be able to change the mind and promises of God. For the first generation of Israelites who disobeyed God, though they failed to enter the Promised land, it did not change the promise of God to Moses that Israel will still inhabit the Promised Land. Through the leadership of Joshua and Caleb, the second generation of Israelites saw the fulfilment of God’s promise when they successfully conquered and settled in the land of Canaan.
As we navigate a world full of brokenm promises, all the more we need to put our trust in God’s promises. And the reason is simple: God never changes. He is and will always be consistent. In a world that isuncertain and changing, God’s promises is certain and unchanging.
2. His Wisdom Displayed
The promises of God to us are His wisdom displayed in our lives. In Job 36:5, Elihu (Job’s friend) says that God is “mighty in strength and understanding.” What Elihu is saying is that God’s wisdom is so great, so incomprehensible by human understanding, and so limitless. And for that reason, what God promises to us, we can and should trustand believe. As mortals, sometimes we have a tendency of thinking that God is just like us. However, we must never reduce the Creator to the level of the created. The writers of the Bible understood full well the immenseness of God’s wisdom and they were willing to trust in God’s promises, even though the circumstances around them seemed impossible at times.
What God promises to us, He will achieve. Our human wisdom is limited, but God’s wisdom is unlimited. No external circumstances is too hard for Him to work. No external circumstances can ever stop what God has planned for our lives. When Sarah laughed at God’s promise to her, God reminded Sarah that He can turn the impossible into possibility. When the Israelites were trapped between the Egyptian army andthe Red Sea, God split the seas so that they could walk right through it! When the disciples thought Pilate and the Roman soldiers had successfully killed Jesus, God raised Him up again on the third day, just as was promised.God’s wisdom is incomprehensible by human thought or wisdom. And for this reason, we should trust in His promises. Because it is God’s wisdom on display. And what God says He will do for us, He will indeed accomplish. All we need to do is to wait and see God at work in our lives and situation.
3. His Timing
The most important aspect of understanding God’s promises is the timing of God. Many times, we feel our prayers are unanswered and immediately we think that God has broken His promise. Just because God does not act and respond immediatelyor there is a “delay” in His promises, we doubt God or even give up on Him altogether. This is something that as believers we need to
avoid completely because the promises that are from God are in control by God, and are bound by God’s timing. This is not a “Christian” excuse to make up for the times where God’s promise seems unfulfilled. This is a biblical and scriptural response to the questions many of us ask, “When, God?” The timing of God is something that appears all throughout the thread of biblical thought. And in 2 Peter 3:9, Peter writes that “The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise” instead, the Lord’s timing is always perfect. And this is linked to the previous point concerning God’s wisdom. Gods’ timing, because of His wisdom, is always perfect. He is never too late, nor is He slow to respond. He is on time.
If you have not yet experienced God’s promises fulfilled in your life, don’t give up trusting and believing. Wait on the Lord, and in the waiting, do not entertain the devil’s lies that always seeks to draw you away from God’s promises. Instead, keep fixing your eyes on the unchanging and faithful God and you will find strength to get you through the waiting.
Conclusion
Are we in doubts about the promises of God? Maybe, it is time to put aside our human pride, thoughts, and wisdom, and surrender to the all-knowing, all-wise, and all-powerful
God.
Trust in Him and see His faithfulness displayed in Your life.
