Heirs of the Promises

" Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.  For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised." 
                                                                                                             ( Hebrews 10:35-36)




     There are literally thousands of promises contained in God's Word that are just waiting to be claimed by faith.  Because the Scriptures are inspired by God, every word can be powerful and life changing.  No matter what circumstances we may face, the Bible contains the answers and solutions we seek.  " It is because of His glory and excellence, [that] He has given us great and precious promises." ( 2 Peter 1:4a).

     When we think in terms of a man of great faith, Abraham is the one that easily comes to mind.  When God first spoke to Abram, He said, " Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.  I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you." 
( Genesis 12:1-3).

     God told Abram to do one thing- "Leave"- and in return, God would do eight wonderful things for him. This required Abram to live by the promises of God, as he responded in obedience to the call of God on his life.  These promises paint a portrait for us of the graciousness and goodness of God.

     Abram did have to leave his comfort zone in order to move on to something new that God had in store for him.  The source and the initiator of these promises was God and this is what sustained Abram as he continued to follow God's lead.  Power comes through the channel of grace that releases God's promises.  This is because it is His promises that bring hope when one responds in faith.

     Abram journeyed toward Canaan, though he knew not where he was going.  This required a great deal of faith and trust in God.  The difference between belief and trust is that trust requires a risk.  It is only when we risk something that we can truly see God come through for us! But this is also where the true reward is found.  Charles Spurgeon said, " A little faith will bring your soul to heaven; a great faith will bring heaven to your soul."

     Abram had great faith.  This is defined as " a firm persuasion; a conviction based upon hearing".  In other words, Abram was convinced that what God told him was true and that there was no way God's plans could fail.  He was happy to step out not knowing where he was going because he knew who was going along with him.  Because of this, Abraham is now known as " the father of all who believe,... the father of [those] who also walk in the footsteps of faith,... our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed,... the father of many nations." ( Romans 4:11-12, 17-18).

     Abraham is the father of all who believe God's promises.  As Christ followers, we are grafted into the lineage of Abraham.  We receive God's promises not because we obey God's laws but because we "trust God to keep His promise(s)." ( Romans 4:13).  "That is what the Scriptures mean when they say that God made Abraham the father of many nations.  God will accept all people in every nation who trust God as Abraham did." ( Romans 4:17).

     What God did in Abraham's life was not about Abraham.  It was all about God and His desire to bless His people.  God's desire in all our lives is to engage in a love relationship with us so that as we grow in intimacy with Him, we will also grow in likeness to Him.

     This inevitably means that, at times, our faith will be challenged.  Possessing a strong faith does not mean that doubt will never come to us.  True Biblical faith is one that perseveres even when doubt does arise.

     Endurance is more than just 'doubling down" and believing more.  It is persistence in both trusting and obeying when you cannot see the outcome ahead of you.  This is how we persevere through our doubt.  When disbelief rears its ugly head, we kill it by trusting God and obeying His call on our lives.

     Faith is fluid.  Abraham's faith continued to grow as he continued to walk with God.  "He believed God, for his faith and trust grew ever stronger, and he praised God for this blessing [Isaac] even before it happened.  He was completely sure that God was well able to do anything He promised.  And because of Abraham's faith God forgave his sins and declared him 'not guilty'". ( Romans 4:20-22).

     " Now this wonderful statement- that he was accepted and approved through his faith- wasn't just for Abraham's benefit.  It was for us, too, assuring us that God will accept us in the same way He accepted Abraham- when we believe the promises of God who brought back Jesus our Lord from the dead.  He died for our sins and rose again to make us right with God, filling us with God's goodness."
( Romans 4:23-25).

     Once we are made right in God's sight by faith in His promises, we can have peace because of what Jesus has done for us.  Jesus brings us to the " place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to actually becoming all that God has had in mind for us to be." ( Romans 5:2).

     Whatever God promises to us will happen.  Let us not for get that " He who promised is faithful". (Hebrews 10:23).  Indeed, " not one word has failed of all His good promise." ( 1 Kings 8:56). Not only is God Faithful but He is also able- there is nothing that He cannot do.   Our job is merely to BELIEVE!!!!


                                         " Let God's promises shine on your problems."
                                                                                     Corrie Ten Boom