Promises of God – Part unknown

Promise 1

Matthew 6 28 33 ‘Consider the lilies of the field ‘Wherefore if God so clothe the grass of the field shall he not much more clothe you, 0 ye of little faith? But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you ‘

Do we worry about our daily bread, our clothing, how we are going to pay our taxes, rent, etc ? If we do, we doubt Him David has told us that he has never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread (Psalms 37 25) And Jesus has also said that we need have no thought for the morrow (Matthew 6 34), “for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself ” When we have done the best we can for ourselves, if we are putting God first, He has promised that He will provide whatever we cannot provide for ourselves

Now let us go into the garden and behold the lilies, the handiwork of God, in their purity and beauty The Scriptures tell us that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these He then goes on to comfort and assure us by chidingly but gently telling us that if God so clothes the grass of the field with such loveliness that He will much more clothe us, 0 ye of little faith “

So let us know when doubts or grief engulf us that the God who made the lilies watches over His most wonderful creation with an abiding love that never falters or fails If the way seems long and weary, the light is just beyond If we watch for it and pray for it, we shall find it

Promise 2

Matthew 10 42 “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward “

Some of us often feel sad and “left out of things” because there seems to be no way whereby we may do some outstanding work in God’s service. But in this text Jesus tells those encumbered with home or other cares that even the least service given in His name always brings a commensurate reward

We can tell the busy, weary clerk that we appreciate her tireless service; we can speak a kind word to the overburdened housekeeper and cook, or the man or woman working in the office beside us

Our neighbor may be sick We can take her something for dinner, straighten the disordered house, wash the dishes or look after the children for a time We will receive no earthly acclaim for these acts, they will not be written up in the newspaper or change the course of nations These things may seem unimportant to us, but they will be commended by the Lord I was sick and ye visited me Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me’ (Matthew 25 36,40)

Let us never overlook the little things that we can do, and they will be account ed to us for righteousness in God s sight

Promise 3

Matthew 11: 28,30 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest Take my
yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls”

These verses tell us that Christ s yoke is easy and His burden is light Oh, no , we are apt to protest, our burdens are so heavy it is almost impossible to bear them If this is true, then it is be cause we are endeavoring to bear them alone, in which case they are indeed too heavy for our frail, human strength

But those who serve God need never suffer under an unbearable yoke, there is Someone who will bear the heaviest part of the burden with them In His strength it will become light, and they will have the rest that has been promised Why not find rest unto our souls when Jesus is so willing to give It to us?

Promise 4

Matthew 28:20 Lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world’

This text tells us that Jesus is with us always, not part of the time, but Always, every minute of every hour of every day and night If we are in danger, all we need do is quiet our panic and fear, and realize that, since Jesus is there, no possible harm can come to us He is the Master of every situation, and fires, storms, earthquakes, floods and violence need have no terrors for those who really love Him (See Psalm 91)

When we are sick, even if we are alone, in some strange, unhappy place, we are really not alone, for Jesus is there He knows all about pain, suffering, weakness and temptation He has been through it all and so He can sympathize with us, ease the pain and help us to bear it And don’t forget—even in the ‘lone watches of the night He is there

If we lose a loved one, He is beside us when the tears fall and our hearts are in despair, telling us ever so gently that we sorrow not as others who have no hope (1st Thessalonians 4 13)

If we lose all of our possessions, what are they anyway but trifles in comparison to God s love and our prospect of the glorious future to come? And we have the promise as before stated that we will never be forsaken nor forced to beg for bread (Psa 37 25)

As to that dread enemy, death, what is there actually to be afraid of ? (Psa 23 4) Jesus will be there to comfort and reassure us, and we will know then for a certainty that He has been with us always as He has promised to be

Promise 5

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace In the world ye shall have tribulations but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world

Overcoming the world is the most difficult thing that we must do It isn’t usually the grosser sins that tempt the followers of Jesus, it is the subtle sins of the spirit, such as doubt, pride, selfishness, envy, etc Sometimes we are unaware of these faults in ourselves, but often we are unconscious of their existence, so we must continually examine ourselves to see if we are unknowingly harboring any of these things.

We are not alone, however, for Jesus, our High Priest, was tempted in all points as we are, and He is always touched with the feeling of our infirmities (Heb. 4:15). When we are downcast, He tells us to be of good cheer, that although we will have much tribulation, He has overcome the world, and will help us accomplish the same. We can be certain that if we follow the same course that Jesus followed, we will in His strength eventually attain the victory which He gained.

Promise 6

Romans 8:28. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.”

Here is a most comforting promise when our afflictions seem beyond us, and we cannot understand why such things should happen to us. In times like these, it is well to recall that ALL things work together for good to those who love God and are the called according to His purpose. Who are the called according to His purpose, and are we in this class? The called are those who have voluntarily entered into the family of God, and they will remain in this relationship as long as they are faithful. And when the veil is lifted that covers our mortal eyes and we behold God as He really is, we will then understand and praise Him for His wonderful works to the children of men (Psa. 107:8).

Promise 7

Romans 8:31. “What shall we then say to these things ? If God be for us, who can be against us ?”

We remember the stories of the Old Testament where God was for the Israelite’s and led them to victory as long as they obeyed and served Him. He was against them when they disobeyed Him, and their enemies overcame them.

Sometimes we voluntarily cut ourselves off from this promise by sin: at other times we lose connection with God because of lack of faith and unbelief. The main thing is to be sure that He is for us. He is only for those who love Him, consult Him, and obey implicitly when He answers. If we always did this, a great many of our troubles would never happen.

Let us make certain that God is on our side, then fearlessly face our foes as did David when he defeated the giant Goliath whom the strongest of the Israelite’s had not dared defy. He discarded the armor which the king had given him, and went forth to meet the enemy with nothing but five stones and a sling. He did not trust in his own strength or the king’s armor, he trusted in the Lord, his God. So God was for David, and if He is for us, who or what can be against us ?

Our first promise today is found in 2nd Thessalonians 3:3: “The Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil.”

One definition of the word “establish,” according to the dictionary, is “to settle or fix firmly.” So if the Lord “establishes” us, we are “fixed firmly” in our position as sons of God, and nothing but our own unfaithfulness can dislodge us from this position. It is certainly wonderful to know that there is no doubt about our relationship with God if we hold fast to our rights as His child by never relinquishing them or deliberately leaving the fold into which He has gathered us.

“He will keep us from evil.” Does this mean that we will never be tempted, troubled, sick, suffer loss of material possessions, or any of these things? No, it does not mean that. We often bring evil upon ourselves by breaking the laws of nature in the way of food, sleep, rest and in other ways. Nature is very strict, and permits no transgression, and, sooner or later, we suffer physical and mental ills that could have been prevented.

Then again God permits misfortune to overtake us if He sees that we are drifting away from our first love of the Truth and permitting ourselves to become entangled in the affairs of the world. We may lose a valued position, or an unfortunate investment may cause much of our worldly goods to vanish overnight. There are many such things that may happen to us, but they are all for our best good to bring us back to God. It is in that sense that they are not really evil, because good comes to us as a result of these trials.

But the evil from which He will keep us is being tempted “above that we are able to bear,” or being left alone and without help in sickness, sorrow or despair. God’s children will always have His loving care if they request it and firmly believe that they shall receive it. Since we are to “cast our cares upon Him,” and in so doing He will help us bear our burdens, they become light and easy to carry, and we will be kept from the unendurable evil that is sometimes suffered by the people of the world.

Promise 2

“Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).

The followers of Christ who mourn shall be comforted when affliction overtakes them. God loves us as He loved His Son. When Jesus suffered in Gethsemane until great drops of sweat fell to the ground, an angel appeared to strengthen and comfort Him, and so may we be comforted at all times. But just exactly what does it mean that those who mourn will be blessed? It probably means that those who mourn and sigh for the terrible conditions in the world, and especially for the backsliding church (Ezekiel 9:4) shall in due time be blessed by being among those who shall reign with Christ, and have a part in remedying these conditions and bringing the blessings of God’s kingdom to the suffering world.

Promise 3

Matt. 17:20″. . . If ye have faith as a grain of mus­tard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence . . . and nothing shall be impossible to you.”

A mustard seed is a very small seed, but it grows into a mighty tree. And so our faith, weak at first, can by prayer and constant practice, grow into a mighty faith. What is this mountain that Jesus is telling us about? It seems to be that mountainous obstruction (whatever it may be) that keeps us from obtaining the blessings God has in store for us. So in that respect if we trust God nothing shall be impossible for us. The great trials that Paul suffered did not turn him away from God. With faith in God’s strength and help he overcame them all. So can it be with us. But we must ask in prayer, believing. It is no use to ask for God’s help if we do not believe we shall receive it. We must have faith (even as a grain of mustard seed) and even that small faith will help us. But if we want to do great things in God’s name, then our faith must be as the tree which grows from the mustard seed. “Ask in prayer, believing, and it SHALL be done unto you.”

Promise 1,

Matthew 7:7. “Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.”

Evidently this does not mean that we should ask for and expect to receive riches and all the good things this world has to offer, since the Scriptures tell us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24). If the saints possessed position, wealth, honor and the adulation of many, it isn’t likely that most of us would deny ourselves in any way. We would he too engrossed in our worldly affairs. It has been done in rare instances, but Jesus told His disciples that a rich man shall hardly enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:23), and it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle (a small gate a camel could scarcely get through) than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24; Mark 10:25; Luke 18:25). So let us not be envious of the man with great riches because most likely that is all he will ever have. He will enjoy them for a few short years, and then will then “go the way of all flesh,” and will have nothing to look forward to.

We do, however, have the promise that if we seek the kingdom of God First, all these things (food, clothing, necessary things that He has been talking about in previous verses) shall be added unto us (Luke 12:31). And David assures that in his long life he had never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread (Psalms 37:25). God knows that we need these things and will see that a way is provided for us to get them, if we trust Him and put Him first in our lives ALWAYS (Luke 12:30, 31).

What then shall we ask of God that we will find? We are to ask Him for the fruits of the spirit: love, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, etc. (Galatians 5:22, 23). If we ask for these things IN Faith believing, we shall receive them.

The Bible tells us that we may ask for healing (James 5:14). But we must do as did Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when He asked God if it was possible to take the cup of suffering and death from Him, but added: “Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done” (Matthew 26:39). We must submit our wills to God, because He knows what is necessary for us to undergo that we may be made ready to receive our reward of life everlasting.

What does the Scripture mean when it tells us to knock and “it” shall be opened? We believe it means that the door of knowledge and wisdom will be opened to us if we knock; that is, if we study the Word and endeavor to find out what it means to us, and then follow what it tells us to do. God’s purposes will be revealed only to those who strive diligently to understand them. So let us ask, seek and knock and we Shall receive.

Promise 2.

“Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28, 29).

Why do we stumble along blindly under insupportable burdens when Christ has invited us to come to Him and He will give us rest? Does that mean that we shall have complete physical and mental rest from all our burdens, or that they will be taken away altogether? We think it means that Christ will HELP us bear our burdens, and that, by coming to Him, He will give us rest in that we will be happy even in bearing them when He is with us, encouraging and helping us along the way. We, as Christ’s followers, cannot expect to go through the world without trouble of one kind or another, but the burdens need not be so heavy, and we will have rest in our souls, looking forward to the time (close now) when there will be no more burdens to bear. Do we have this kind of rest? If not, why not, when the Lord has promised to give it to us?

The first promise is found in Philippians 1:6: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Here is a most wonderful and comforting promise. God began His good work in us when we publicly acknowledged Him by being baptized into Christ. And, since He has promised to perform the good work which He began until the coming of the Lord, we need have no fear that He will not finish it if we are faithful. The writer and many others have been known to say that they were fearful lest they would never reach the kingdom because of their failures, weaknesses and sins. But if, After a searching Examination of Ourselves, we can honestly say that we are doing the very best that we can to faithfully follow in the footsteps of our Lord we need have no fear of being rejected by Him. Did not Jesus die on the cross that our sins might be forgiven? This, of course, does not mean that we can willfully repeat the special sin that is so hard for us to relinquish, or any other sin for that matter, and expect to be forgiven. We must Repent, and Turn away from sin to be assured of God’s forgiveness.

Our second Promise is found in Hebrews 13:5: “He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.”

Our best friend under pressure might forsake use, even mothers have been known to forsake their children. But we can depend on the fact that our Father will Never forsake us, as long as we belong to Him. We may feel that He has forsaken us sometimes in the depths of our grief and sorrow, but if we but have confidence in Him and pray to Him He will be there with us, comforting and helping us. He will Never forsake us, Never! What a wonderful promise! We can always be sure of one Friend, no matter if we lose all our earthly possessions, are sick in the hospital, away from everybody that loves us, or alone in the world, as far as loved ones arc concerned. They may have all gone before us, and we have no earthly friend to really love us. But Someone is there, our dear Savior, and He will be with us, Always.

Perhaps we will rise from our beds of sickness to take our place in the world once more, but if we do not, “yea, though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil”, for He is with us, His rod and His staff they comfort us, He will Never leave us nor forsake us.

Our third promise is found in James 4:8: “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.”

We may sometimes wonder why God seems far away from us, and long to have Him near. But we can have Him near to us, if we fulfill the condition stated above; if we draw near to Him. How, you may ask, can we draw near to God ? By prayer and study of His Word. I heard one consecrated brother say, “Sometimes I just don’t feel like praying to God or reading the Bible.” What did he do when he felt like that? Did he go to a show, look at TV, go to sleep or attempt to get rid of his “blues” in some such way? No, indeed, he started to read and pray anyway, he read until he began to feel closer to God and Christ, then he prayed. Perhaps, first, he said, his mind would stray from his prayer, he thought about everything else except what he was attempting to pray about. But he diligently brought his mind back to his prayer, and, finally, he was able to concentrate his mind upon it. After he had at last concentrated his mind, he found it relatively easy to pray, and then he began to feel that God was indeed near him.

Do we sometimes feel the same way? We are likely to feel that way when we are tired physically, when we are not feeling as well as we might, when we are discouraged about things in general or some one thing in particular. Jesus sometimes prayed all night. He prayed every morning and every night. And He prayed until He felt God near to Him. He agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane, but God heard Him and sent an angel to comfort Him. The Bible tells us that the angel of the Lord dwells about us and delivers us (Psalm 34:7), as was the case with our dear Lord (Luke 22:43). Then if an angel is sent to us to help and deliver us, can we not have faith that our prayers will he answered, even if we for some reason or other do not seem to “feel in the mood”? God will count the fact that we are endeavoring to get close to Him to our credit, and, sooner or later, the light will break through and we will feel His blessed presence.