Believing God’s Promises
My son has a fear of being abandoned or left alone. Zane loves to feel safe and secure. He is in the first grade and has a wonderful teacher named Mrs. Buck whom he is attached to. However, when she leaves the room, Zane panics. She promises that she’ll be right back. Either she is going next door or to the restroom and it is only for a few moments. Zane has no reason not to believe her, but he can’t find it in himself to believe what she says. He has told me that he is afraid that she won’t come back.
I can relate to my son because he is like me in more ways than one. I was the same way. I remember one time as a child; my dad was going away for ten days. He gave me his word that he would be back and he and mom even attempted to explain how long ten days was. Fear and panic overcame me. I even tried to hide in the bed of his truck hoping that he would accidentally take off with me.
There was once a priest named Zechariah; a man who had every reason to believe God, but because of his immediate circumstances couldn’t bring himself to do so. He and his wife had grown old and had yet to have children. Zechariah and Elizabeth were a Godly couple, yet she had remained barren. One day, while Zechariah was performing his priestly duties, an angel of the Lord named Gabriel appeared to him.
After the angel revealed how special this child would be in preparing the way for Jesus, Zechariah asked a surprising question.
So this magnificent angel was standing before God telling Zechariah that he is going to have a child and his answer was “How shall I know this?”?!?!?
The truth is though that we often do the same. We pray and our prayers aren’t immediately answered, or in the way, or time frame that we would like and eventually we stop believing God.
As we look the story of Scripture we often find men and women of God that had to be patient, but God certainly heard their prayers. God heard Abraham. He heard Noah. He heard Israel in Egypt. He heard the cry for a Messiah! He heard Zechariah and Elizabeth! He hears your cries!
Matthew Henry notes: “Prayers of faith are filed in heaven, and are not forgotten, though the thing prayed for is not presently given in.”
There is great comfort in knowing that your prayers that have not been answered, at least as you can see it, are still securely in God’s hands! Do you trust God will answer in his time and in his way? Do you believe the King of kings when he makes a promise?
One problem, though, is that we sometimes can try to claim things that aren’t promises. In the instance above, God had promised Elizabeth and Zechariah a child, however this passage doesn’t apply to all Christians. There is no promise that God will give every believer children, though when we pray we can believe that God is more than capable.
On the other hand, sometimes we sometimes don’t claim things that we should! Words that ARE promises for ALL Christians. So I’ll leave you with just a handful of the promises God makes to every believer in the pages of Scripture. These are promises that you can claim as yours and stand on in confidence and in faith!
Do you believe God? He is faithful to keep His word!
God is good! He hears our prayers and He never breaks a promise.
I can relate to my son because he is like me in more ways than one. I was the same way. I remember one time as a child; my dad was going away for ten days. He gave me his word that he would be back and he and mom even attempted to explain how long ten days was. Fear and panic overcame me. I even tried to hide in the bed of his truck hoping that he would accidentally take off with me.
There was once a priest named Zechariah; a man who had every reason to believe God, but because of his immediate circumstances couldn’t bring himself to do so. He and his wife had grown old and had yet to have children. Zechariah and Elizabeth were a Godly couple, yet she had remained barren. One day, while Zechariah was performing his priestly duties, an angel of the Lord named Gabriel appeared to him.
And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. (Luke 1:12-13)
After the angel revealed how special this child would be in preparing the way for Jesus, Zechariah asked a surprising question.
And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” (Luke 1:18-20)
So this magnificent angel was standing before God telling Zechariah that he is going to have a child and his answer was “How shall I know this?”?!?!?
The truth is though that we often do the same. We pray and our prayers aren’t immediately answered, or in the way, or time frame that we would like and eventually we stop believing God.
As we look the story of Scripture we often find men and women of God that had to be patient, but God certainly heard their prayers. God heard Abraham. He heard Noah. He heard Israel in Egypt. He heard the cry for a Messiah! He heard Zechariah and Elizabeth! He hears your cries!
Matthew Henry notes: “Prayers of faith are filed in heaven, and are not forgotten, though the thing prayed for is not presently given in.”
There is great comfort in knowing that your prayers that have not been answered, at least as you can see it, are still securely in God’s hands! Do you trust God will answer in his time and in his way? Do you believe the King of kings when he makes a promise?
One problem, though, is that we sometimes can try to claim things that aren’t promises. In the instance above, God had promised Elizabeth and Zechariah a child, however this passage doesn’t apply to all Christians. There is no promise that God will give every believer children, though when we pray we can believe that God is more than capable.
On the other hand, sometimes we sometimes don’t claim things that we should! Words that ARE promises for ALL Christians. So I’ll leave you with just a handful of the promises God makes to every believer in the pages of Scripture. These are promises that you can claim as yours and stand on in confidence and in faith!
- Philippians 1:6
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
- Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
- Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus
- Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
- Romans 8:38-39
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Revelation 22:7 (Jesus said) “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
Do you believe God? He is faithful to keep His word!
After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” (Luke 5:24-25)
God is good! He hears our prayers and He never breaks a promise.
posted by Scott Hescht at 6:05 AM
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