Parents often use the word promise. We are busy, and our children want to do something. We cannot turn loose right then, so we promise that when we finish our task, we will do as they ask. They keep playing and forget what they wanted. We half-hope they do not remember because we have lots to do. We do this with many things in life, and when we make the promise, we mean it, but things change, and we do not fulfill our promise. The meaning of the word promise is a clear statement or legal commitment by a person to do or not to do something. It gives someone the right to expect a certain action or result. In times gone by, people would sign a promissory note when needing to borrow money. It was a legally binding piece of paper with an unconditional promise to pay a certain amount, by a certain time, to another party. Today, promises do not mean much, and they are only as good as the character of the person making them. However, God always keeps His promises.
In Genesis 12:1, God is making a promise to Abraham that the land of Canaan will belong to His people. In verse 5, Abraham leaves to head to Canaan. It was 430 years later before they would leave Egypt to head to Canaan, the promised land. It took another 40 years for them to arrive and take the land because of disobedience. But God never wavered; He kept His promise.
Genesis 12:1 “Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”
Genesis 12:5 “And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan.”
While God never breaks a promise, His timeline is not ours. We want things now, and when it doesn’t happen as we expect, we think God has forgotten.
God made a promise to Abraham and Sarah. He promised a child in their old age. Despite decades of waiting and seemingly impossible odds, Isaac was born at the appointed time.
To the Children of Israel: He promised deliverance from slavery and a land of their own. Through the wilderness and every obstacle, He led them into the Promised Land.
To all of mankind, He promised a Savior. At just the right time, Jesus Christ was born to fulfill every prophecy, secure our redemption, and offer eternal life. There were no delays or interruptions. While it appeared that the timing was not right, or there were no preparations for His birth, we are only looking from a human perspective. God planned for Mary to be pregnant during tax season. He planned the birth in a stable rather than a hotel. God planned it all, and it happened just like He designed it to be.
One of the most comforting promises to me is in Hebrews 13:5 and Deuteronomy 31:6. God promises His people He will never leave us or forsake us.
Hebrews 13:5 “Let your conduct be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
When God makes a promise, it isn’t a statement of wishful thinking; it is a guaranteed reality waiting to unfold. Numbers 23:19 reminds us, “God is not human, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”
Whatever season you are walking through today, you can anchor your soul in the character of God. If He has promised peace, strength, guidance, or presence, He will deliver. Your current circumstances do not diminish the certainty of His Word. When doubts arise, shift your gaze from the uncertainty of your situation to the unchanging faithfulness of the Promise Keeper.
It is my favorite time: examination and application time. What are your needs today? Do you need His promise of wisdom or peace? Are you clinging to the truth that He will never leave you if you are His child? If you doubt that promise because you feel far away, check your life. God has not moved; you have.
Can you remember times when God has shown Himself faithful to you? Look back at the difficult times and examine the details; if you look hard, He was there.
Have you been one of those who ask God for something, but it did not happen when you thought it should? Therefore, you gave up and doubted His promise. You may not have said it out loud, but in your heart you doubted. Stop putting God on a timeline and setting deadlines. Keep trusting God’s timing to fulfill a promise to you.
Are you keeping your promises to God? Are you faithful to read His word, pray, and talk to Him each day? Do you stand for what is right no matter what the consequences may be? He has kept His promises to you, now keep yours to Him.
