October 31 – Every Word Spoken is A Promise

“Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” – Joshua 21:45 (NASB)
“For thus says the Lord, ‘Just as I brought all this great disaster on this people, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them.” – Jeremiah 32:42

Every word spoken by God is a promise. Each day this blog takes a few minutes for each of us to think about God’s promises. Blessings or judgements we discover His promises in the passages and verses of Scripture. Today, we consider two passages regarding God’s promises. The first, given to Joshua after he lead Israel into the land God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). The land of the Canaanites became the land of the Israelites by the decree and judgement of God. Joshua declares every word of every promise made to Israel came to pass. Zero promises of God’s failed to happen all came to pass. From 1385 B.C. to 561 B.C. for nearly 825 years the Lord God had patience with the Israelites. Success (few) and failures (many) in respect to their faithfulness to their LORD God. While Joshua had proclaimed God faithful in fulfilling his promises, Jeremiah spoke for the Lord another promise that has yet to be fulfilled. God promises that after the great disaster, brought as His judgement on Israel, He would fulfill all the good promises as well. These promises will be fulfilled at the End Days. 

195

June 30 – Tested and True

“Your word is very pure, Therefore Your servant loves it.” Psalm 119:140 (NASB)

In a book about promises is it not natural that we want those promises to be tested and prove true? Yes, we do. The Psalmist writing this song knew of the power and trustworthiness of God's promises as they were revealed in the Holy Scriptures at that time.  Psalm 119 is not only the longest chapter in verses, it is a psalm that references and says something true and good about God’s words in each verse. He saw and knew that any promises given by God were pure truth because they came from God. If God is who He says He is, then His word is true and His promises are as good as tested. Every word that we have from God is righteous and pure and we have solid reason to trust and love God’s word.  His promises abound in number and in power.  Nothing is stronger than a promise from God. What was the psalmist’s reaction to that truth? He said the he loved the promises. We too love the promises we find in God's word. We love them because they are true, they encourage us, they guide us and give us strength to press on.

198

June 25 – Our Flight From Danger

“(For by these) He has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” 2 Peter 1:4  (ESV)

There are good reasons for why God  has given us the many promises in the Bible. The Apostle Peter taught some of these reasons in the second letter he wrote. God expects His promises to produce changes in our lives. The “precious and very great promises” include abundant and eternal life as partakers of His divine nature. The changes that God desires in us are produced when we believe His promises. God wants us to be more and more like Him. We are His children and so we should resemble our Father in heaven. In the world there is much evil and sinful desires which cause the corruption of this world. “Corruption” has the idea of something decomposing or decaying. God promises us that He will help us escape the danger of corruption, through faith, a life that is pleasing to Him. Let's believe the promises and we can watch Him carry them out. Looking back to verse 3, we see that it is by God’s power we have all we need for a godly life, for true knowledge of Him. Because He called us to salvation by His own glory and excellence through the cross.

196

June 21 – A Promise to Guard All Promises

“Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.” 1 Kings 8:56 (ESV)

These words of praise were spoken by the King of all Israel, Solomon, son of David at the time of the dedication of the temple which he had built in Jerusalem (10th century B.C.).  It reminds us of God’s perfect faithfulness of and that we can trust all of his promises to us. God had given many promises to His people through Moses almost 500 years before Solomon. In Joshua 21:45 Joshua had reminded them “Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.” Did you note what Solomon said about these promises? He said the same thing Joshua had said, “Not one word has failed.” God had kept his promises in every detail. This is the kind of God we have today. Most days we look at a specific promise to remember and today that promise is that He'll keep every word of His promises to us. Think of some promise or promises God has given you my friend. He will be faithful to you as he was to Israel then and now. 

198.

February 19 – God’s Spa Is Best

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh  and refreshment to your bones. - Proverbs 3:5-8 (ESV)

If mom told me once, she told me more than a hundred million times, “Don’t slam the screen door!”  Some lessons need repetition because they are very important.  Our verses today are familiar and they have wisdom and promises we need to remember. So, we return to them often. Don’t weary then of hearing Scripture quoted which you have known before. These truths need to be reviewed more than occasionally; we need to hear them often. We need to admit that we don’t have all the answers and our understanding is not enough. God knows the straight path for us and He knows the end from the beginning. He can direct us when we have decisions to make. So it’s up to us to put our  trust in our loving, all-knowing God. It is risky to think our understanding is enough apart from that given to us by the Lord. It is risky messing around with any means or people who do not follow God’s way. If we turn away from evil and trust the LORD with all our heart, we will have healing and refreshment to our bones.  Better than any spa visit.

195

February 15 – Remember, Strengthen our Faith

“You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant:  ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’  Selah”  Psalm 89:3-4 (ESV)

This psalm is not a Psalm of David. It is identified in the title as A MASKIL OF ETHAN THE EZRAHITE.  Looking for a blessing from God in your life? Then let’s remind ourselves of scriptures that give God’s promises of His blessing. In our chosen verses for today, we have a prayer that God would honor the covenant he made with David when he was King. God is praised for the covenant He made with King David.  That promise was for eternal representation by the lineage of David on the throne. It will be fulfilled when Jesus takes the Throne one day on Earth. This has some significance as we think of when in Israel’s history it was written. Before this Psalm was written, Israel, the Northern Kingdom, had been decimated and no longer existed. Judah, the southern kingdom, about two centuries later, had most of the professional, educated, experienced, and skilled population exiled to Babylon. Ethan reminds God of what He said to David. He does so to bolster his own faith in God’s promises.  When we waver in our faith it is always good to remind ourselves by stating what God has promised already. 

197

April 13 – Power From Knowledge

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”  - 2 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV)

Think for a moment about the amazing power that true knowledge brings to us.  All the power available, from God, to live and be godly comes through our knowledge of Him.  With the promise in our verse for today, comes the promise of this knowledge of God who called us.  We have access to God’s glory and God’s excellence through this knowledge.  We have also been given His promises that have the power to make us deserving of sharing a portion of His divine nature.  By these promises and not by any works, we are ever able to do or bring, we are set free to escape the corruption and sinful desires that bind us to this world’s depraved system.  As partakers of His divine nature we enjoy His divine power as if it is ours.  Life and godliness are what is at stake.  Knowing does not guarantee godliness but it seems that ignorance guarantees ungodliness.  Peter says, the divine power that leads to godliness is given through the knowledge of God. We should put a premium on instruction of doctrine in the Scriptures!  

-184-

April 7 – Amen to All God’s Promises

“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”  - 2 Corinthians 1:20 (ESV)

We are in a time when God's promises might be more dear and important. Naturally, we consider the promises of God daily on this blog. Today, we have a promise about the promises of God.  As often as we confirm that all of God’s promises are fulfilled, because He made them and God cannot lie, today’s verse takes that confession a step further.  "All God’s Old Testament and New Testament promises of peace, joy, love, goodness, forgiveness, salvation, sanctification, fellowship, hope, glorification, and heaven are made possible and fulfilled in Jesus Christ.*" Jesus confirmed this to his disciples after His resurrection to new life. (Luke 24:44 ESV). And our response is to affirm these promises because they are given to us by God.  The word “Amen” is a Hebrew word for affirmation.  We are reminded today than the believers’ response to all of God’s promises is to affirm them with our ‘Amen to God.’  Let’s rejoice today that every promise from God is fulfilled in Christ Jesus for us and His glory. In and uncertain world we have certain promises from God. Believe today and be encouraged by God’s promises.

* MacArthur Study Bible

# # #

January 2 – Precious Promises

“For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”  -2 Peter 1:4  (NASB)

We have entered our fifth year of taking a brief moment to consider God’s promises to us.  God’s promises all come to us from His promise of abundant and eternal life. It is God’s grace and peace multiplied to us and the precious promises given us by God that results in our being adopted as sons and becoming true children of God.  We do not become ‘little gods’ but we do become ‘new creatures,’ through our re-birth in the Spirit.   We have received from God eternal life as a gift and so we possess a share of His nature which He has given to us.  This promise is also our way of escape from the corruption of our old nature.  If we have made some serious New Year’s Eve resolutions regarding our way of living which are honoring to God, and if  we really want to stick to them, God’s promises are here for us for that very purpose.  Let's resolve together to learn and hold on to all that God has promised every day. 

# # #

October 28 – Promises Understood

“Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.”  Psalm 22:11 (NIV)

Although we may not know the details of how exactly God answered this prayer, we can still read it to encourage us. We can trust in promises we have learned that God is nearby us all the time, even when we do not feel it.  He promises to not desert us or to forsake us.  We believe that God has preserved His Word in our Bible to do just that. We believe that God did answer David's prayer in this Psalm and He will answer our prayers when we ask Him. He knows when trouble is near to His own and He will be near, very near at all times like that. So this is a prayer that we can pray in perfect confidence. Although these words are not in a form of a promise, yet God has allowed the prayer to be included because He has already promised to be always with His own. So be encouraged to pray as David did whenever you need it.

# # #

June 26 – Amen to Amen

“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” 2 Corinthians 1:20  (ESV)

Do we ever wonder what we are saying when we say “Amen” at the end of a prayer or when we hear something we agree with and believe is true?  The word Amen comes from a Hebrew word and it is a word of affirmation.  The Apostle Paul is telling the Christ believers in the Greek city of Corinth that every promise we have of and from God are embodied in Jesus Christ.  All of God's Old Testament and New Testament promises:  peace, joy, love, goodness, forgiveness, salvation, sanctification, fellowship, hope, glorification, and heaven itself are made possible and are fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ.  We are being reminded here that we have a corporate, or collective “yes” to the truth of of His preaching and teaching.  Our response, when we hear the truth and promises of God proclaimed is to say, “Amen!” And sometimes we shout out "AMEN!"   Yes, we hold the promise that all the promises of God are affirmed in Him – Amen to that today! 

# # #

May 18 – Special Love Pours Out

“...for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father.” John 16:27 (NASB)

One of the last promises which Jesus gave His disciples before He was crucified can be our promise today. We know that God loves the world and that's why He sent His Son to be our Savior. The words of Jesus which we have just read go beyond that.  Jesus wanted His disciples to know that God the Father has a special love for those who love His Son.  God sent His Son because He loved His creation and creatures. When we accept Jesus we are responding to this love which God pours out on us – His special love. So if we want to experience God's special love – the love of the Father for His children – let's be sure that we express to God our love for His Son. That's how Jesus made the promise in today's verse. 

April 28 – A Promise to Keep Promises

“if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.”  2 Timothy 2:13 (ESV)

The purpose of this blog is to remind us of the promises that God has given to us. God has promised to keep His promises and to never break them.  The reason we can trust His promises is because by His nature, God cannot break his promises.  The reminder we have in today's verse is of this wonderful nature of our heavenly Father who is perfect in every way.  We are not perfect, and we stumble on our walk with Jesus. We are known to fail to keep a promise and to be faithless, but God is always faithful. That is the way He is and if He did not keep his world, He would not be God. Many religions worship false gods who cannot keep their word because they do not exist. Our God is the only true God whose nature is such that he will always be true to His Word and even when we are faithless, He remains faithful to what He has promised us. That is a promise.

April 4 - Listen Now

“I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—but let them not turn to folly.” Psalm 85:8  (NIV)

The writer of this Bible song had made a good decision. He had decided to pay attention to the words of the Lord. And the reason for this decision was that what he had heard from the Lord was good news to him. God had promised to give him what he wanted, peace in his heart.  The psalmist included us in his statement. The promise of peace was for all God's people for all His saints, set apart for Himself.  I trust that you have experienced the peace which God gives to those who trust in Him.  Because what God has promised is just what we need. And, we need to do as the psalmist said, we need to pay attention to what the Lord says. As we open His Word and read what has been given to us, we will find that He has a word for whatever we need in our situation today.   

March 19 – Strength and Peace

“The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.” Psalm 29:11 (NASB)

There are wonderful advantages connected with being a follower of the Lord Jesus. God has given many promises about his care for His people and many of them are in the book of Psalms in our Bible. You can notice that in today's short verse there are two promises. They are both for God's people. If you are a follower of the Lord Jesus today these promises are given to you. The first is a promise of strength. Do you feel you need strength of body or strength of spirit  to do something today? Our lives today can present some challenges that we need strength to face.  If so, just look to God and trust Him to enable you to do it. Or, maybe your heart is disturbed about something and you are stressed and anxious about circumstances in your life. Remember that God has promised to bless His people with peace. If you trust Him He'll flood your soul with His peace whenever you need it. Trust God to keep his word, Jesus went to the cross to die so that we can all have eternal peace with God. 

February 26 – Perfect Peace

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)

We receive a very marvelous promise in our verse today. It is a promise that proves itself through the difficult times we encounter.  Our God is one who never changes. He is a God who keeps His promises and we can always depend on Him to meet our needs every day, in every situation.  Although our situations change from pleasant to challenging God never changes. That is why the secret of true peace in our hearts and minds is to fix our thoughts and our aspirations on our unchanging God – not on our own understanding. Trusting in God is like building on an unshakable foundation and keeping our mind anchored in the truth we learn from God and His Word. So, let's base our thoughts on God's faithfulness. Our verse says that this will give us perfect peace. Who can improve on that?  Of course, nobody can. Trust in God – He will keep you in perfect peace no matter what you might face today, or tomorrow or ever in your future.  

October 22 – See Us Through

“Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands.” Psalm 112:1 (NIV)
“They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” Psalm 112:7 (NIV)

We are choosing two verses from Psalm 112 today. The first verse identifies who the psalmist is writing this song for. Those who fear the Lord and delight in what He tells us to do.  The next verses describe a person who respects and worships God. Our second verse doesn't say that a follower of the Lord will never hear any bad news. It doesn't say that nothing unpleasant will ever happen to us. What our verse promises is that we won't spend time thinking of some bad things that might happen to us. What it means is that we will be trusting in the love of God to take care of us no matter what happens. We have a great and loving God and He promises to see us through.  

October 18 – Yes and Amen Again

“For no matter how many promises God has made they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV)

We spend time each day on this blog, “90 Seconds With God's Promises” because of the encouragement His promises bring us in our day to day lives. Today's verse is one we have looked at in the past and today we look again for it is about these promises. Yes, we believe in the promises of God. Many of His promises in the Bible we find in the Old Testament. We believe them even though some of them were given before Jesus lived her on earth. Our verse tells us that in Christ all the promises of God are true for us. We can claim His promises for us in the name of Jesus because they are affirmed in Christ. As we pray in His name, Jesus is also interceding for us praying for us. And God the Father hears the prayers of His Son. This is our confidence that we have in this promise.

October 9 – Tested and True

“Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.” Psalm 119:140 (NIV)

Our verse today is from the longest chapter, by verse count, in the Bible. In Psalm 119 every verse speaks of God's Word and commandments and promises. We hope that each person who reads this today can affirm the words of verse 140. Walking daily with God's word and trusting in Him will result in agreement that God's promises have been thoroughly tested. That is why we have good reason to love these promises we find throughout the Bible because of this testing. It may be a challenge for some to fully accept this because their expectation is something different than what God has promised. Today, remember what God says, He will always do and what He has spoken, he will make good. God is not a man that he would lie or change his mind. 

September 10 – Loving and Faithful

“All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.” Psalm 25:10 (NIV)

This promise today reminds us of the greatness and the love of our heavenly Father. Let's never forget that our God in heaven is concerned about our needs and is involved in the events of our lives.  Our verse reminds us that God loves us and this makes a difference in how He deals with us. We respond and keep the demands of his covenant with us. Our part is to believe and trust in what He has said and live accordingly.  What God does for us is also determined by His faithfulness. Remember this, no matter what happens God does not forget His promises to us. He will always keep His Word. So, let's be sure to keep our part of the bargain – that we be loving and faithful to our God.