What Does God Promise Us? By: Noelle Kirchner
Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you. —Psalm 119:89-91
Maybe it’s about a lunch my boys really want when we’re out running errands. Maybe it’s about a movie they want to see at the end of a long day of getting chores done around the house. Or maybe it’s about sneaking in some time at the hockey rink in between their baby brother’s naps. As hard as I try to fit everything in, unexpected curve balls sometimes come up. When I am not able to do what we were planning on, I hear a familiar refrain:
“But Mom, you promised!”
Really, I hadn’t. I had said we’d try to do it. Yes, we had been planning on it, but every parent knows how the day can shuffle around with children.
What Are Promises?
Promises are more than a casual commitment involving day-to-day juggling. They are reserved for declarations that you can stake your life upon. Promises provide the scaffolding within which we make decisions and live our lives. For instance:
In marriage, I promise to love my husband and commit my life to him, even though some days are naturally bumpier than others.
In childrearing, I promise to always have my children’s best interests at heart, even though sometimes I make mistakes or let them down.
In friendship, I promise to make time for the people I love and believe the best in them, although we might have disagreements and life gets busy.
What God Promises Us
My examples are not exhaustive, but remarkably, the Bible records every single one of God’s promises. His promises are true, firm, and faithful, because they come from the one Perfect Promise Keeper.
Our scripture passage today underlines God’s faithfulness. The complaints of the psalmist earlier in the chapter now give way to a crescendo emphasizing God’s sovereignty. God is sovereign for all time, in all places, and over “all things” in these verses. Further, the text gives us a clue as to the tenor of God’s sovereignty—it is merciful and conditioned by love. The Hebrew word for “faithfulness” used here is often paired with the one for “steadfast love.”
Here are eleven promises that you can depend upon from our faithful, loving God:
1. God Loves You Unconditionally (Romans 8:38-39) 2. You Are Never Alone (Psalm 27:10) 3. You Are Redeemed and Have an Eternal Home in Heaven (Psalm 121, John 3:16) 4. God Formed You with Intention and Knows You Intimately (Psalm 139)
5. You Are Who the Bible Says You Are (Isaiah 43:1 and 43:4) 6. God's Plan for Your Life Is to Prosper You, Not to Harm You (Jeremiah 29:11) 7. The Risk That God Is Calling You to Take Is Worth It (Galatians 6:9) 8. You Have Special Strength Available to You through Faith: The Power of Christ (Philippians 4:13)
9. God Hears Your Prayers and Can Move through Them (John 14:13-14) 10. Hope Is Always Alive in Your Life through Faith (Psalm 126:5) 11. God Can Reveal Himself to You and Others through Community (Matthew 18:20)
While these promises are true, that doesn’t mean every day will go down exactly as we want. Scripture confirms this when it says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps” (Proverbs 16:9). For instance, God promises to prosper us and not to harm us (#6), but exactly how and when we prosper is up to God. Our job is to keep obeying and believing, and God will work on our behalf to do the things we cannot!
While I explain the difference between a casual commitment and promise to my children, who might be frustrated about missing out on a hamburger someday, I also remind my heart, which often yearns for deeper things. We can be sure that God hears our petitions and is trustworthy. Even amidst disappointment, sorrow, or pain, God is constantly working to make all things new, and that too is one of his promises (Revelation 21:5).
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