Blog Detail

You’ve heard the old hymn…“Standing on the promises of God…”But what are the promises of God? 

Within the 66 books of the Bible, there are approximately 8,810 promises made by God. As we acknowledge the scriptures were written by men who were inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17), the promises we read in the Bible today all belong to God and will all certainly fulfill (Joshua 21:45, Joshua 23:14). I personally feel for my extensive research that the entire Old Testament and some of the New Testament was actually written by God as an being dictated word for word to the men who were inspired by God just like God wrote the ten Commandments on Mount Sinai with his own finger.

Too many times I hear people complaining about the fact that God promises this, God promises that and they start listing all the promises that God did not keep. The problem with this is that there is one major oversight that may make with this claim. Throughout the entire Bible God is very clear about one major condition that must be met before he will do anything for us. This is what we neglect to see or our major oversight.

Here are a few scriptures to support that fact:

Psalms 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12.  O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You! 

James 4:6-9 6.  But He gives a greater grace. Therefore {it} says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” 7.  Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9.  Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.

Here are just a couple scriptures out of the 8,810 promises made by God:

Philippians 4:19  And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Philippians 4:6-9 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

In the song “The Promise” by the Martins they do a beautiful job of explaining God’s promise. Here are some excerpts from the song:

Artist: The Martins / Album: Above It All / Song: “The Promise”

I never said that I would give you silver or gold
Or that you would never feel the fire or shiver in the cold
But I did say you’d never walk through this world alone…

And I did say, don’t make this world your home

I never said that fear wouldn’t find you in the night
Or that loneliness was something you’d never have to fight…

I never said that friends would never turn their backs on you
Or that the world around you wouldn’t see you as a fool
But I did say like me you’ll surely be despised
And I did say my ways confound the wise

I didn’t say you’d never taste the bitter kiss of death
Or have to walk through chilly Jordan to enter into rest
But I did say I’d be waiting right on the other side…
And I did say I’ll dry every tear you cry…

‘Cause you know I made a promise that I’ve prepared a place
And someday sooner than you think you’ll see me face to face
And you’ll sing with the angels and a countless multitude
This is the promise, this is the promise I’ve made to you

So just keep on walkin’, don’t turn to the left or right
And in the midst of darkness, let this be your light
That hell can’t separate us and you’re gonna make it through
This is the promise, this is the promise I made to you”

I could not put it better. Remember, salvation is like the best club membership you’ll ever get with the greatest benefits (eternal life) of any other group out there. But we must remember, without membership and a very serious commitment to the rules very clearly set out; there are no benefits, not even partial.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10. “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it [the thorn] away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”