Ever wonder if God can be trusted to fulfill the promises He makes?
Because people generally view other people with some bit of distrust, our view of God tends to get smudged. We know in our head that God is perfect, and therefore must be totally trustworthy, but in our hearts if we're honest with ourselves there is doubt.
Our experiences with imperfect people shades what should be our clear perception of God. "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror" (1 Cor. 13:12a). It can even cast the smallest doubt that God may actually follow through on what He said He'd do. That skewed perception may even lead us to believe that God embellishes, if only a tad.
What can we do to get the right understanding of God's faithfulness again?
That's easy — go to the Bible! Nothing focuses the lens like getting into God's own Word.
For example, I was reading in Genesis 18 about Abraham receiving three visitors, two whom we find out are angels and one the Lord Himself. I was reading this story in the pursuit of the topic of nomadic living, and instead (like He always does when reading the Bible), the Holy Spirit showed me something else entirely. Now, I was able to learn about what life was like living in a Patriarch's tent, but what I got out of Genesis 18 was so much more.
In Genesis 18, the Lord gives Abraham three promises:
1) "Then the LORD said, 'I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.'" (Gen. 18:10)
2) "Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation," (Gen. 18:18a)
3) "all nations on earth will be blessed through him." (Gen. 18:18b)
The Lord then confirms to Abraham that He will do these three things in verse 19, "the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."
And did God do all that He said he would do for Abraham? You betcha! First, skip on over to Genesis 21:1-2, "Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him."
Secondly, look today how Abraham's descendents — the Jews and Arabs — dominate the world news, control much of the world's oil and inhabit the entire Middle East.
And thirdly, think how through the Jews the world got the Savior, the Bible, and the moral foundation of law and government. It may have taken a few thousand years for all of these promises God made to Abraham to come to fruition, but each and every promise God followed through, and in spades.
And what about God's promises to us?
As I asked earlier, can we actually trust God to fulfill His promises to us? We know we're not super-saints like Abraham. And yet, we don't have to be. Let's see what promises God made to the rest of us:
1) God will forgive us. (Acts 3:19; Heb. 8:12)
2) God will rescue those forgiven from judgment in Hell. (Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:9-10)
3) God will guide the saved through life by His Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
4) God will help believers overcome the trials of this world. (1 Jn. 5:5; 1 Pet. 5:6-7)
5) God will rescue those who are saved from the time ahead when He'll pour out His wrath upon the world for its continued rebellion against Him. (1 Thess. 5:9; Rev. 3:10)
6) God gives us a purposeful life. (Eph. 2:10)
7) God brings those saved to live with Him at His home, called Heaven. (Jn. 14:2-3; Col. 3:4)
8) God will give an awesome eternal life to those who believe in His Son Jesus. (Jn. 3:36; 10:28-29; 1 Cor. 2:9)
What amazing promises — promises that despite our human lapses, God who has already proven his trustworthiness to Abraham and others will fulfill!
"What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do." - God (Isa. 46:11b)
