Promises
Has anyone ever made a promise to you and then failed to keep it? How did you feel? Probably upset. Maybe betrayed. Maybe tears came to your eyes and you wept. Perhaps you had a hard time believing anything they said to you, if that happened.
Have you ever made a promise to anyone and failed to keep it. If so, how did the people to whom you made the promise react? I would venture to say in the same way that you reacted. It is important that you keep the promises you make unless something happens beyond your control and keeps you from doing it.
When I think about this, I think of the Creator of the universe. He made a lot of promises in the Bible. For instance, when Adam and Eve sinned He said in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” (NASB) He made a promise that Satan would be defeated because of what he did. Jesus was put to death. Satan thought he had won the victory. But when Jesus arose from the tomb, this promise was fulfilled. (John 18-20)
Note the promise to Abraham from God, “...Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you; 2 and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; 3 and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3) When Joshua led the children of Israel into the promised land, the promise of God was fulfilled. Israel became a great nation, and all the families of the earth are blessed because of it. (Read Joshua) Thus, God keeps His promises that He makes. Read through the Bible and you will find every one of them fulfilled. Joshua wrote, “Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” (Joshua 21:45)
Another promise He has made is that He is coming back to bring judgment on all mankind. We don’t like to think of this (if one is not walking with God). “And to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9) This is not a pretty thought is it? It hasn’t happened yet, but will when Jesus comes back again.
Let’s each one keep our promises that we make to others. And, especially, let’s be prepared when Jesus comes.