UNBROKEN PROMISES

Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope.  Psalm 119:49

Sometimes, we don’t like to be reminded of the promises we’ve made.  Usually the reminder comes because the person we promised perceives that we have forgotten.  We are acting in a such a way that leaves them shaken about the strength of our word. 

Where we don’t like to be reminded of a bad promise, God does like it when we remind Him of His Word; not out of entitlement but in humility.  Think of the many promises in the Word of God, how old they are, and yet He is still good for each of them.  That is a miracle in and of itself.  A person as old as God, making promises over the breadth of time, delights in each and every promise.  He builds His reputation around the fact that He is a promise-keeping Father.  Faithfulness is His hallmark. To hope in each and every one is to have solid expectations.  He never spoke out of turn.  He never made a promise blindly because He failed to see the future.  He was never foolish with His affections. 

This world is one where, with expectations, there is often disappointment.  However, when I put all my hopes and expectations in the character of God, I don’t ever have to be disappointed.  His love for me, His faithfulness, justice, compassion, these never fail even though it may look like it sometimes.

There was a woman, married to a prominent man in Shunam, who was barren.  Elisha came to her house, and in his deep affection for her and her family, he promised her that God would give her a son.  Twelve years later, this son of promise had a brain seizure and died.  Her dream lay limp in her arms.  She went running a long distance to find Elisha and when she found him, she took hold of his feet and said, “Did I ask you to give me a son?  Don’t toy with me.”  Elisha went to her home, went up to the boy’s room, laid on him; eyes to eyes, nose to nose, mouth to mouth, and he gradually came back to life.  (II Kings 4)

Truthfully, there are times I have been disappointed with God.  What He gave, He took away.  What I thought I needed, He withheld.  It seemed that His character was in question.  My pain blinded me.  The enemy, ever ready to become involved, maligned God’s character in my ear and I bit of his apple.  Today, I am older and hopefully wiser.  When I am tempted to cave into disappointment, I take hold of God’s feet in prayer.  I stand in His promises and tell Him that I believe His Word even though I can’t see proof of it at the moment.  Through my tears, His unchanging character is my hope.

You understand when I am driven to the end of myself.  You understand a child who cries, “Abba!”, and takes hold of you for new measures of faith.  Thank you for such tender, intimate love that invites such honesty.  Amen