Promises, Promises

On October 12, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 119: 49         (NLV)

Remember your promise to me, for it is my only hope. Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.

Has God given you a promise? You may struggle with this question a little and I understand that, but here is something that will help you. Yes, He has given you an entire book of promises. The Word says that Yahweh is no respecter of persons (Acts 10: 34 KJV). The NASB Bible says that He is not one to show partiality. That means that what God has done for any one of His children, He will do for another, including you. So, if Yahweh God made a promise to Israel, for example, that is a promise to you. In fact, where I see Israel, I line through it in pencil and write in “Ivey”. This is especially true for a verse which resonates in my heart. Sometimes you read a passage and it comes alive for you. I don’t want to lose that verse or that sense of promise, so I highlight it, write the date beside it and perhaps also make notes in the margin.

Maybe you have a personal promise from God about something specific. If you have not written it down, do so because there will come a time when you will doubt that word from God. The permanence of the scriptures is one of the features I like about Biblical promises. I can always go back to that written Word and refresh myself.

These promises from God, whether from the Bible or received personally can be a source of comfort and encouragement. When the skies look cloudy with a definite chance of rain, the promises of God breakthrough like the sun banishing fog and haze. I find it helpful to write verses on 3 X 5 cards and post them around my desk and home. These represent the promises of God to me. I have a scriptural promise for everything I am hoping for. They keep me on target and revive my hopes and dreams. Keep the promises of God before your eyes and never give up.

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Proven and True

On June 11, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

2 Samuel 22: 31

God’s way is perfect! The promise of the Lord has proven to be true. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.

I really like when the Father starts showing me verse upon verse which combine to illuminate His teaching. Every verse this week has built upon the previous one. It began with “Blessing the Lord” in which we learned that believing God’s promises blesses Him. Today we arrive at a word of assurance.

We have been looking at a model for prayer. This model is dependent upon God’s Word and His promises. What if His promises are not meaningful or have expired? What if they are not full of God’s intent? If so, then the prayer model doesn’t work, and we have to go back to begging God to do something.

We needn’t worry though. God’s promises are tried and true. That have been tested and proven. That’s good news. I think, in this verse, we can also hear that His Word and His promises are places of refuge for us. We can rest securely in the promises of God. They are a shield but the key to the verse is that we must take refuge in Him. We must make God our place of refuge. We don’t run to the world for answers to our problems. We run to Him.

God is perfect but more importantly, His way is perfect, and His Word leads us to the perfect way. In Him and in His Word, we find the answers we need, and those answers lead us on the level and secure path. His promises never fail so we need only to retreat into those promises. Your Bible is a mighty weapon and a shield of faith and protection. It is the light burning in the sanctuary. All of His promises are, “Yes,” so renew yourself in His Word and find the strength, faith and refuge you need.

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Promises, Promises

On June 3, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

1 Kings 8:56

Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised; not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses His servant.

According to all God has promised us, may He be blessed, because He does not fail. This is rich language but more importantly, it is the assurance of God’s promises fulfilled in our lives. What value has the Bible if not to see God, to learn of His ways and promises and to, subsequently, see them fulfilled in our lives? God did not give us His Word so that we can study history. That is cool enough, but He wants us to see more than the history. He wants us to receive His promises which go all the way back to the beginning. All His promises are for us today. That is what the Bible is meant to communicate to us.

There is more to this. The author would have us know that not one word of God’s promises has failed. What do you think of that? All of God’s promises are yea and amen (2 Corinthians 1: 20). In other words, God’s answer to your prayer is, “Yes.” Why do we think God made promises? It is not as though we could ever extract from Him anything that He didn’t want to give. These “promises” are not the result of a bargained agreement. We do not have anything with which to bargain. The point is, He made all the promises in the Bible of His own volition. They were all His ideas. God is trying to get blessing to us. That is the reason He has made promises to us. He forged a covenant with us, and these are the benefits of that covenant relationship. So, every promise you find in the Bible is part of God’s covenant with you. Each one represents God’s will.

Do you see a promise of health or healing? Do you see the assurance of prosperity? What of favor and His continual presence? All those are God’s intent for your life. Therefore, we are to hold those up to Him, almost like an offering and receive of His glory and bounty. What kind of Father would He be if His children did not partake of His bounty? Can you imagine parents who live in affluence but do not share their sustenance with their children? That would just be wrong. We understand that from a human perspective, but we do not always translate that over to our Heavenly Father who, by the way, chose to be called Father. He self-identified Himself as our Father and that is a tremendously important concept. We did not name Him; He did. And with that choice to be our Father, He accepted a host of responsibilities towards us. He forever calls us His children which means He accepts the responsibility for our welfare. And, that is the source from which the promises originate.

Not only has He given us His word on a wide range of topics, He has not failed in any of those promises. Do you believe that? Are you living in every promise of God? If not, why are we not enjoying the fullness of His fruit? Is the Bible absolute truth? It says not one word of His good promises has failed so either that is a lie, or it is truth. If it is truth and we are not living in the fullness thereof, then where is the disconnect? Has He fulfilled the promise and we were not in the right checkout line? Is there something we must do or is it a simple matter of belief and trust? God is not a man that He can lie so we can rely on Him as truth. Therefore, the analysis must proceed from there. He is truth and love and life. In Him all prayers are yes!

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Remember

On November 25, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 78: 20 – 11        TPT

They didn’t really believe the promises of God; they refused to trust him and move forward in faith. They forgot his wonderful works and the miracles of the past.

Asaph delivers a history of the Israelites in the psalm. He recounts their exodus with its miracles and challenges in making the point that it is important to remember our history and, significantly, to teach it to the next generation. Failing to keep God’s blessings fresh in our minds and hearts leads to our own failure.

Each generation goes through this challenge. When we experience and remember the miracles of God, especially in our own lives, our faith soars. When they become distant or we forget, then our ability to stand on God’s promises falters. Today’s verse could speak equally convincingly about any generation. As a group, and even individually, we go through times of strong faith, and times of doubt or at least marginalized faith. It is easy to forget all the times God has come through for His children or even shown His kindness in our own lives. When that happens, we become weak. In those times, we must stir up our own minds and spirits to recall the great things He has done for us. As we remember it is helpful to try to recall how those experiences made us feel. When you pair the memory with the emotion, it is as if the experience is new and happening in this moment. It is in those moments when you again believe the promises of God and trust Him. Then you can move forward in faith.

Most Christians don’t seem to actually believe the promises of God but that is something that can change overnight. We need to know what He has promised and then we stir ourselves towards belief. If God ever made a promise, it is a promise to us today because He hasn’t changed. Take His promises into your heart and own them for yourself. Make yourself a believer by meditating on those promises. Let Him be a big God in your life like He was in days of old. You are His chosen people, His inheritance. Let us remember and move forward in faith.

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Private Place

On December 10, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 25: 14              Passion

There’s a private place reserved for the lovers of God, where they sit near him and receive the revelation-secrets of his promises.

There were several verses I thought of using for today’s selection before I settled on verse fourteen. For example, in verse one, David again, declares his trust in God. I could have written a lot on these words from verse three, “For how could anyone be disgraced when he has entwined his heart with you?” I’ve written quite a bit in the last few years about being intertwined with Jesus. It seems I was not the first person to be convinced on that idea.

Verse fourteen holds such promise and paints such an encouraging picture that it eclipsed even the intertwining. Although . . . isn’t there the inference of intertwined hearts in “lovers of God.” This does not speak of a far away, detached adoration. This “private place” is a love nest where those who love God gather with Him to share our joint passion. That passion is a love for all that God loves. We will gather around His Word and He will share His passion with us. We learn what is important to Him and He reveals the secrets of His promises. His love for us abounds in gifts and the treasures of His heart. He longs to have more people with whom to share them. In this private place with Him, He reveals all. It is His desire to reveal the secrets of the universe and in this private enclave, He can do just that.

The coolest thing about this private chamber is that it is open to whom ever desires to enter in. He does not have a gate keeper whose function is to keep people out. All who love Him, whose heart is intertwined with His, may freely enter and partake of the glories of His Heart. How cool is that? Why didn’t anyone tell us about this earlier. We could have been hanging out in the secret place for years. Now we know and only our own hearts can prevent us from lounging in the private place with God.

Look into your heart. Your passport to the revelation room is right there. Enter in and find the answer to every question you have. Receive the revelation of all His promises. He wants to give you all these revelations so you can enjoy the fruit of all His benefits. Come – hang out with God in the private place of your heart. Come into the garden He has set aside just for people like you where all the secrets of the universe are being revealed daily. Your spot has been reserved.

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Answer my Prayer

On December 3, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 20: 3 – 4             God’s Word

He will remember all your grain offerings and look with favor on your burnt offerings. Selah. He will give you your heart’s desire and carry out all your plans.

Do you know that there are some people to whom it is difficult to give? I had a friend that way. You couldn’t bless her. She refused kindness or just would not receive graciously. After a while, I just got tired of trying to be a blessing to her. She just made it too painful. I wonder if God has the same problem giving to us. Do we make it difficult?

Today’s psalm is a psalm of David. If you were to read the whole thing you would recognize his writing. One of the things I find most interesting in this selection is the “Selah” at the end of verse three. What is there about the content of verse three that should cause us to stop and ponder? Is it reasonable that God’s memory of all of your offerings inclines him to giving you your heart’s desire?

This would appear to be the operation of the covenant relationship between David and Yahweh. David contributed to the temple. He gave his tithes and offerings and God was aware of David’s faithfulness. David was bolstered by his gifts too because he understood the covenant. He knew that because he did his part, God would do His. There was a trust relationship between them. Of course David could boast in the name of God. He understood covenant relationships and he stood on his covenant. God proved time and again that He would do as He promised. Why then, does it seem that He isn’t fulfilling His promises to us?

If I had the answer to that I would write the book and all Christians would get all prayers answered. It is a question worth pondering though. Why would God even bother make us promises if He didn’t intend to keep them? It’s not like we had some sort of leverage to force Him to make a bargain with us. So, if He so charitably makes promises, will He not also keep them? What then marks a difference between those who receive of God and those who do not. I can’t help but think that it is this confidence that David shows in God keeping His covenant. Does that bold trust and unwavering assurance put David in a better position to receive? In verse 6 he wrote, “I know God gives me all that I ask for,” (Passion). Do you think most of us can say that with the same level of confidence? I want to be able to as I am sure you do also.

So here is what I leave you with today. What do you think distinguishes David from most of us? He was on the wrong side of the cross even, yet he had such confidence in God. Secondly, do you think the covenant relationship had something to do with David being able to receive from God? We have a better covenant than he and ours is made on better promises with a better mediator (Hebrews 8: 6, 12: 4). How is it that God gave him all he asked for when his covenant was inferior to ours and yet we do not seem to receive all we ask? I have questions for you rather than answers but often I believe the questions to be more important. Only the right question will lead you to the right answer. So, will you ponder these questions in light of today’s verse? We would love to hear from you.

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I Dare You!

On November 14, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 12: 6            Passion Translation

For every word God speaks is sure and every promise pure. His truth is tested, found to be flawless, and ever faithful. It’s as pure as silver refined seven times in a crucible of clay.

Oh, if we only believed this. Wouldn’t life be different? The truth of the matter, sorrowfully, is that most Christians aren’t really believers. We believe in Jesus but not necessarily all his words. This is lamentable, but you know what, this is something we can change individually and globally.

Today’s psalm is a song of David, I think you might hear his voice in this verse. He trusted God. He believed in Him. Not only did he believe in God but even more importantly, he believed God. David believed that whatever God said was true and sure, that there was no way it could not come to pass. He believed that ever promise of God was yes and amen to him, that it was undeniable. He believed in the purity of God’s promises and every word which proceeded from the mouth of God. And David’s belief had no choice but to manifest in his life. You see, what we believe is what we will manifest.

The heathen know this. Why don’t we? They know that what the heart believes will become reality. And they are right. That is the way God made this realm to operate. It’s not a big secret. David has told you right here that all of God’s words are absolute truth. Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you,” (Mark 11: 24). Or think on this from Mark 11: 23 as recorded in the God’s Word Translation, “I can guarantee this truth: This is what will be done for someone who doesn’t doubt but believes what he says will happen: He can say to this mountain, ‘Be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it will be done for him.” What you believe is reality. Period. That is really a huge statement and yet so easily read over. Let me say it this way, if you will teach and train yourself to take God’s word, and yes, even God Himself, at face value, then all that He has said will be your reality. What you believe is the truth you will live. Actually, the life you are living right now is that which you have believed in the past. If you want to up your game, believe bigger. God said that He was willing and able to do above and beyond all that you are able to imagine (Ephesians 3: 20). So . . . think bigger. Take Him at His word.

How can you teach yourself to believe God? You must commune with Him. There really is no other way. David learned to walk with God daily. He invested himself in the relationship. The more you come to know Yahweh personally, the more you will believe Him, the more you will believe His word with your heart, not only your mind. We have to learn to hang out with God more.

The other thing we should all do is to press our friends to become believers. It is a pain to be around me sometimes but when my Christian friends say something totally unbiblical, I nudge them, even correct them, if the truth were told. Why should I let my friends wallow in lies and deceit? I cannot. There are those, however, that I can’t teach, can’t train, can’t move. The veil of their Christianity is just too thin, and it may tear. You do have to leave those people where they are no matter how it pains you. Your committed friends though, hold them accountable for their words and beliefs and invite them to hold you accountable.

Let’s do this. Let’s push each other and ourselves to become Davidic believers, people who trust the Lord our God at least as much as David did. Maybe we could even believe God in the same fashion as Abraham whose belief was accounted as righteousness by God. Believe God. Take Him at His word. I dare you!

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