Remember God’s Promises
“…Being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised”, Romans 4:21
Are you in the midst of a trial? Are you being tested? Does it seem as if it will never end? Or, maybe you are feeling overwhelmed and think God has forgotten about you. We would never really say those words, but we do experience those feelings.
Romans 4:21 gives us a hint as to how to overcome when in seemingly terrible situations. We are to be totally convinced that God will do what he has promised. Fully persuaded means – most surely believe. Let’s take a look at five promises that hold true all the time. No matter what we go through we can count on God to keep his word.
- Trials work for my good – Romans 8:21
- God will never leave me – Hebrews 13:5
- God restores my soul – Psalm 23:3
- Ask and it shall be done – John 15:7
- Peace of God will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:7
As we look at these promises you will notice that they are conditional. God always keeps his word, often times we are not in the right place to experience the benefits of the promise. God’s word will accomplish what it is sent to do, but unless we are in the right place at the right time we will miss the blessing. So while in the storms of life, we need to know and understand the part we must play in order to receive the blessing.
First, we need to know what Romans 8:28 has to say about the ups and downs of the child of God. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to His purpose”. The word good means benefit. Though the test and trials seem unbearable sometimes, you will benefit from them. There is a two-fold condition related to this scripture; those who love God and those who are the called according to His purpose. The word love in this passage is the Greek word “agapao” the word we know as agape. Love is an action word. God so loved us that he gave his son to die on our behalf. (John 3:16) God desires that we love him unconditionally, so much so that we give our all to him. How many people do you know that say they love God but they live like they love the devil instead. The second half of that condition states, those who are called according to his purpose, his intentions, his plan for your life. When you answer the invitation (2 Timothy 1:9) of God to become a part of his family or to walk in a particular service to Him, you have put yourself in the right place to receive from God. In other words when we obey God we show how much we love him, and our love for him allows him to work out everything for our good. We need to be in right standing in order to receive the benefits of this promise.
The next promise states, “Let your conduct be without covetousness: Be content with such things as you have: for He has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you”, Hebrews 13:5. NKJ We all know what it feels like to wish we had what someone else has. It is called coveting something that does not belong to you. Covetousness leads to discontent. Never satisfied with what we have, how we look, where we’re going or how we will get there. Contentment denotes being o.k. with life. Contentment does not come automatically. We must choose to be satisfied with who we are, what we have and where God is taking us. Scripture tells us not to compare ourselves with others (2 Corinthians 10:12 ). We should always be aware of our thoughts (Proverbs 23:7) and learn to cast down imaginations (2 Corinthians 10:5).
What does covetousness and contentment have to do with the promise that God will never leave you or forsake you? Genesis 28:15 says, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you”. Also read Deuteronomy 31:6, 8; and Joshua 1:5 The answer to the question is simple, trust God with the outcome of any circumstance you find yourself in. When we covet we in essence are telling God how dissatisfied we are with how he is caring for us. How come I can’t have that? Why did you give it to them? Why does it have to take so long? God is in control, he is all powerful and we will never be able to see the big picture for our lives. We need to stay in the right place of trusting God for everything, and when we do that we will receive the blessing of comfort. Knowing that God will never leave you and that He will accomplish, finish what he has started in you.
I will continue this study next week. Your thoughts or comments are welcomed. Please add them to the comment box below.
Be blessed, as you continue to be in place to receive all the benefits of God’s promises.
Yours in Christ,
Rosita
