Some of the old hymns burst with hope. One of those hymns is Standing on the Promises of Christ Our King. The second stanza reads:
Standing on the promises that cannot fail!
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
by the living Word of God I shall prevail,
standing on the promises of God.
God has blessed us with an abundance of promises in His Word. How often do we truly take them to heart? Here are just a few:
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5
In these few verses alone, God gives us promises of strength, His presences with us always, power in weakness, and wisdom when we ask.
How do we believe and live out the promises of God? Living with fibromyalgia for 40+ years has taught me that God's promise of sufficient grace when I'm drowning in weakness is true, just as it was for the apostle Paul. When God uses me to do anything in His Name, He gets all the glory because of my weakness. Many times a day I tell Him, "Thank You, Lord, that Your grace is sufficient for me!"
There are about 3,000 promises in the Bible from God to His children. We are not to "name it and claim it", but to humbly trust God, through Jesus Christ, to fulfill His promises to us in His time and in His way. May we constantly think about God's goodness, faithfulness, love, grace, and mercy in giving us a multitude of promises to live by. May we love Him for who He is - our Father in heaven who delights to bless His children!
See you next week!
