Promises

Luke 24:6-8
"He is not here; he has risen!  Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:  'The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'"  Then they remembered.

Today as I sit and read my Bible, I am reminded of something that I often lose sight of.  Just as the women at the tomb FORGOT the promises of Jesus, I forget the promises He has spoken. God has made me beautiful promises, and those promises will come to pass because God does not break His word.  It's so easy for me to fall into fear, doubt, or worry when things don't go the way I had hoped or planned, but the truth is that God does not leave us ever and He has a plan and purpose over everything.  We need to hold onto His promises.

Isaiah 41:10
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.

A promise, a mighty promise that there is no need to fear because God is with me and will give me the strength to get through anything.

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, " Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

A promise that God has a plan over my life and that no matter what may come His perfect purpose will cover me.  This verse was given to me by a stranger straight from God at a key point in my faith journey, when I was still struggling with letting go of my past and trusting God with my future.  Since the day I said "yes" to God He has NEVER let me down.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

The most amazing promise.  All we have to do is confess to God that we are sinners and that we need Him and He will remove our transgressions from us.  We are simply saved by a promise, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ!

Proverbs 18:10
The name of the LORD is a fortified tower;  the righteous run to it and are safe.

A promise that God is watching over us, and that he will protect us.  This does not mean that nothing bad will ever happen to us, however, but it means that we can draw into Him and He will help us through all that we face.  The name of Jesus has power to bring comfort, encouragement, hope, and peace when everything else seems to fall apart.

Isaiah 25:8
he will swallow up death forever.  The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces;  he will remove his peoples disgrace from all the earth.  The Lord has spoken.

A promise that when we accept the Salvation that comes from the sinless life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ we are made brand new.  We don't have to fear death because we will spend eternity in heaven.  Our mourning over sin will end because our sin has been removed from us.  Our shame is gone, we are righteous in the sight of God!

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

A promise that if we choose to reject God and continue in sin that we will die and spend eternity in complete absence of God (hell), BUT the free gift of salvation through Christ gives us eternal life!

Romans 8:39
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

A powerful promise, that NOTHING can separate God from his beloved children.  That once you are His you cannot be taken from Him.  When Jesus lives in our hearts we are His for eternity!

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

A promise that those who seek him, truly seek him will be rewarded.  We must have faith in God to accomplish all that He desires from us, we cannot serve Him or know Him without faith.

Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

A promise that reminds us that salvation is a gift from God, it cant be earned.  It is freely given.  No amount of works will get you into heaven, nothing you could do or not do will get you into heaven.  By faith you must accept the free gift through Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 12:11
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

A promise that, although, discipline is painful it will produce righteousness when we are trained by it.  We are not disciplined because God wants to harm us, but He wants to make us who we were meant to be, to mold us and shape us.

Revelations 3:20
Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

A promise that God is seeking us out, Jesus is knocking at our the door of our hearts!  We aren't chasing some unreachable god, we are being pursued by God who loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us!  All we have to do is open the door and let Him in!

So many beautiful promises in the Bible, all of which you can be certain God will fulfill if only you put your life into His hands.  Being a Christian does not mean that your life will be easy, or without tragedy, but it does mean that we don't walk alone.  That we have a God who listens and cares for us, a God that we will spend eternity with, a God who left heaven to walk this broken earth so that we might spend eternity in heaven with Him.  I pray this Easter people will put away the bunny and start seeking the King....