Simple Thoughts On Promises-267

As you have been an object of cursing among the nations, O Judah and Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong." (Zechariah 8:13)

A promise for a nation who sinned and angered the Lord God who had redeemed them from their enemies and established them as a nation. The Lord said,
"Just as I had determined to bring disaster upon you and showed no pity when your fathers angered me," says the LORD Almighty, "so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid". (Zechariah 8:14,15)

Sin resulted in their downfall. They had only themselves to blame. Despite all that the Lord had done for them, they committed spiritual adultery and angered him. He showed no pity and brought disaster upon them handing them over to wicked kings. When they suffered, they repented of their misdeeds and turned their hearts again to their Redeemer.

We read the following verses in the book of Joel. Here, God is promising great restorative promises to his people who will repent.
I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten - the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm - my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. (Joel 2:25,26)

When we repent of our sins and misdeeds, God who is always compassionate, heals us, delivers us and restores us. Great is his love and compassion. Praise the Lord.

Simple Thoughts On Promises-268

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

The giant among the Psalms- Psalm 119 with 176 verses has so many decision making words, yet among these, here we find the Psalmist speaking of his experience regarding the promises of God.

Thoroughly tested are God's promises and the Psalmist just loved them.
Is that your experience too?

God has a good track record in keeping the promises that he makes to his children. Even in Old Testament times, he was perfect in keeping his promises to the people he had chosen for himself. Regarding this Joshua writes:
Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. (Joshua 21:45)

Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. (Joshua 23:14)

100% faithfulness. That's how our God is.
If he has promised you something and you have not seen it's fulfillment this year, he will fulfill it in the coming year.
The Bible says,
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. (Habakkuk 2:3)

God bless you, this day and always.

Simple Thoughts On Promises-269

The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. (Psalm 85:12)

A lovely verse to meditate on and also something to hope for in the coming year.
Many are the things that the Lord has given us in this year which is to be history very soon, perhaps in a matter of hours.
Looking back, there are many things that the Lord gave us as answers to our prayers and there are others which the Lord gave us because he simply loves us as we are his children.

Of course there maybe several prayers for which we still have received no answers.
But we have hope that the Lord will give us our righteous desires as we delight in him. Do you believe that?

Remember what Jesus told Martha, the sister of Lazarus, before he raised him up from the dead...
"Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40)

And she did see the glory of God. So will you...in the coming year...So praise the Lord as this year bids you goodbye and the new year comes into your life. All best wishes. God bless you.

Simple Thoughts On Promises-270

He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." (Revelation 21:5)

The term "Everything new" is kind of "exciting", especially at the beginning of a new year. So what's in store for you and for me in the next 365 days? Not many of us can see that far I guess, but whatever it be, let it be good and let there be ample things that bring peace and joy.

John the Apostle, heard God saying that he was making all things new. And then the Lord said, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son." (Revelation 21:6,7)

We have been chosen by God Almighty to inherit great things. But what he wants of us has been clearly written in his Word..The Bible.
Here are a couple of verses that gives the picture....
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1,2)

Written by Apostle Paul to the believers in Rome, the above verses are as good for our lives now as it was for the believers then.

So shall we renew our committment to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, this first day of the new year?
Remember that you have been chosen to inherit heaven and its blessings, so let your walk be worthy of it. God bless you.

Simple Thoughts On Promises-271

And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:7,8)

O Dear Jesus, If only you answered my prayers! is a heart cry that often goes out from our beings. We pray and then wait, thinking of what the delay is all about when we do not see the answer to our prayers.
But Jesus promises us that he will not keep putting us off. He will see that we get justice...and how? Quickly, of course!

What have you been praying to the Lord and now are waiting for him to answer? Take heart, for the promise that you read now is just for you. God is about to bring justice for you, his chosen one.

Do you believe that he is able to do what you have asked for? If yes, then you will see his miraculous power manifest in your life once again. God loves you and because of that he sent his only son Jesus to the cross, so that you may be able to experience the eternal riches of his love. The Bible says,
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

So be strengthened this day dear brother/sister, for the Lord is about to answer your prayers in a way that only he can. God bless you.

Thank God for his beloved rest! If you enter his presence is where you enter the rest though, thats the one thing to keep in mind!

Simple Thoughts On Promises-272

Elisha said, "Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the LORD says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria." (2 Kings 7:1)

The Israelites were in dire straits. The famine was taking it's toll. People were eating anything that they could lay their hands on. Some had even resorted to cannibalism. The king was desperate. He laid all the blame on the prophet Elisha and wanted him killed. In the midst of all this chaos, the merciful Lord gave a wonderful prophecy through the prophet Elisha promising food for all in 24 hours time.

People couldn't believe their ears. Some kept quiet, but one with unbelief spoke and that resulted in his death.
The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, "Look, even if the LORD should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?" "You will see it with your own eyes," answered Elisha, "but you will not eat any of it!" (2 Kings 7:2)

Suppose in the midst of a great crisis, whatever it be, the Lord speaks to you and says, "I will deliver you in a day's time", would you believe it?
Faith would say, "Yes Lord, you are mighty to save, even this moment." and wait for the miracle praising God till it happened.
On the other hand, unbelief would see one questioning the validity of the voice or reason in human terms regarding whether this was possible after all.

God is faithful and once he promises, he never goes back on it. He sees to it that he fulfills his promise.
What Elisha said came true. God used 4 lepers to fulfill his promise.
Wait for the miracle. Praise God for it. Don't worry about how it will come to pass. God has more than a 1000 ways to do everything. He will bring it to pass. God bless you.

Simple Thoughts On Promises-273

Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring - not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. (Romans 4:16)

Faith and grace are so inter-linked in everything concerning the life of a believer. Even regarding salvation, the Apostle Paul writes to the Church at Ephesus:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8,9)
Salvation is the most precious gift from God, but there are other wonderful gifts, which result from our latching on to the promises of God in his Word.

Regarding Abraham, Paul writes,
If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about - but not before God. What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." (Romans 4:2,3)

It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. (Romans 4:13)

So it was neither through works or the law that Abraham was justified. It was because he believed God. That was credited to him as righteousness.

Romans 4:17 is a wonderful verse which speaks of El Shaddai- God Almighty and his unsurpassed greatness.
.....He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed - the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. (Romans 4:17)

Do you believe that you serve Him who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were? If yes, your faith will be credited as righteousness and you will see the mighty acts of God throughout your life as a believer. God bless you.

Simple Thoughts On Promises-274

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. (Psalm 145:19)

Do you fear the Lord? Not as fearing something that seems to be dangerous to you, but fearing because he is Almighty and worthy of respect and honor and awe.
The Bible has much to say regarding blessings for those who have'fear of the Lord'.
A few verses in this respect would do us good.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)
The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.(Proverbs 10:27)
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:27)
The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.(Proverbs 15:23)
The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.(Proverbs 19:23)
Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life.(Proverbs 22:4)

With so many blessings attached to 'fear of the Lord', it should be the endeavour of each one of us to develop this most important charecteristic and stick to it as long as we live. May the Holy Spirit help us in this. God bless you.

Simple Thoughts On Promises-275

After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. " (Genesis 15:1)

The meaning of the word 'reward' is generally given as "that which is given in return for good or evil done or received; esp., that which is offered or given in return for some service or attainment, as for excellence in studies, for the return of something lost."
Thinking in these terms, "What had Abraham done to receive God as a reward?"
The Bible says, "Abraham obeyed God". Whatever God told him to do, he did. So did Noah and the other saints of whom we read about in the Bible.

God becomes our reward when we obey him. There is no greater reward than having God himself in our lives. The Psalmist says,
I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing. (Psalm 16:2)
Can we say that? He again says,
Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. (Psalm 16:5,6)

The inheritance that God has kept for us in eternity is delightful and we must look forward to the day when we can experience it first hand. So let us all obey the exhortation that Paul the Apostle gives the church at Colosse.
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)

God bless you.