“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature…” – 2 Peter 1:4, NIV

A story is told of a young man who asked his wealthy father to buy for him a very expensive car for his 18^th birthday.

Mzee promised to buy the car.  However, the young man was shocked when the old man instead delivered a brand new Bible as his birthday gift.

Utterly displeased with his dad for not giving him the perfect birthday gift that he had promised, the young man told his father that he was leaving for another city and that they shouldn’t look for him.

A few years later, the old man passed away and the young man returned home for the funeral.

After the funeral, he was looking through his stuff in the cellar and found the Bible his father gave him, still intact as he had received it. 

On opening the package, he discovered that a car dealer’s voucher and a key for the new car were inside the Bible’s cover!

One of our biggest weaknesses today is making promises that we fail to or cannot fulfill. 

I’m sure that almost everyone, to a certain extent, is both a victim and a villain when it comes to unfulfilled promises.

Those who are familiar with politicians know what I am talking about!  

They can promise to build a ferry for a community that has no water.

Yet, promises are a powerful part of our lives. Almost every area of our lives is based on promises – marriage, work, business, politics, just name it.

As a matter of fact, the Greek word for ‘promise’ denotes a legal term that has the effect of the law. When a promise was made, the one making it would be putting himself under a binding obligation to fulfill it.

In our meditation verse today, the apostle asks the Church to reflect on the great, precious and sure promises that God has made in His Word.

His hearers understood it as meaning that God had put Himself under a binding obligation to fulfill what He had promised.

That is why 2 Cor. 1:20 says that all the promises God are “Yes” and “Amen” in Christ.

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

ROMANS 4:20-21

In the Old Testament, Joshua was one of only two people out of the tens of thousands who left Egypt and managed to reach the Promised Land in Canaan.

In Joshua 23:14, this incredible man of faith gives his testimony:  “You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.”

The assurance of God’s promises in His Word is established by His nature of faithfulness.

When God makes a promise, His faithfulness is the guarantee of its fulfillment.

So ever promise of God to you stands fast and firm; it will be fulfilled in its time.

The ‘heroes of faith’ in Hebrews 11:13 are credited for “embracing” or “greeting” the promises from afar (verse 13).  That is what we must do too.

Speaking of Abraham, the Bible says; “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. (Romans 4:20-21).

Today, God is reminding us that His sure word of promise is reliable and can be trusted.

His promises will always be there waiting for us to appropriate them.

Prayer:

Almighty God, thank you for your precious promises in Your Word. Help me never to doubt Your faithfulness to fulfill your promises in Christ Jesus, Amen!