I heard a joke recently. A man is hanging by a branch above a ravine and looks down then back up and says “If there is anyone up there tell me what to do, give me faith” then a voice responds “If you have faith, then let go,” so the man looks down, then back up and says “Is there anyone else up there?”
Can you relate? Sometimes it feels like God calls us out on the branch and says to let go. That’s scary! That’s counterintuitive, and sometimes it seems almost suicidal. But that’s where God chooses to put His people at times, and we need to learn how to react to those situations in a manner that brings glory to His name. At those times we might be tempted to ask for a second opinion on the matter, but that’s just our flesh getting in the way of our faith.
Today we’re going to talk about believing God’s word and the promises that He has given us. I know sometimes that is a hard thing to do (I know it is for me), but hopefully I’ll be able to give you some arguments to bolster your faith and some tools to help you through the tough times.
In the fourth chapter of John, a man comes to Jesus whose son was ill to the point of death. All we're told about him is that he was some kind of official. He came to Jesus and asked Him to heal his child. Jesus didn’t say yes at once. The man persisted in asking Jesus to come. Jesus didn’t come to the house, but simply told the man that his son would be well. It says then that the man believed him and went home. When his servants ran to tell him that his son was on the mend, he asked them what time this miracle took place. When they told him the time, he knew that Jesus had kept his word.
It’s important in our walk with the Lord to truly believe the promises he makes to us. Sometimes that’s an easy thing. Sometimes it’s not. I believe that if we can work through our doubts and trust in God despite all appearance, then we free God up to do miracles in our lives. He certainly did that in the past, and we’re going to examine some of the times that He did.
Let’s talk about some of the other people that God put in hard situations.
Noah had a really tough task assigned to him, and had to face ridicule while trying to accomplish it. We read in Genesis 6:17–12 what God asked him to do in faith:
“‘Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. But I will confirm my covenant with you. So, enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive. And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.’ So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.”
God asked Noah to trust Him in a big way, to trust that He would keep His promise to him to save his family, and preserve creation. Noah came through for the Lord, even though he didn’t see a drop of rain or a single storm cloud that would reinforce the Lord’s word. Noah had faith. He trusted. He persevered despite what must have been some scathing remarks from his neighbors, and perhaps even his family. The Bible makes no mention of the reaction of the people around Noah, but I base that on my knowledge of human nature. When we go out on a limb for the Lord, there are always going to be naysayers. We need to be ready for that, and push on, no matter what folks say. After all we’re not trusting God to get the approval of men, anyway. If we persevere, God will be faithful to do what He says. He certainly did for Noah.
Let’s look at another great father of faith. I want to turn now to the story of Abraham and Isaac, in Genesis 17:1–8. This is what God promised to Abraham when he was 99 years old and his wife Sarah was 89. “When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.”
Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him,
“Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
Abraham and Sarah were too old to be having children and had put that dream aside. But then God comes along with an outlandish statement, an amazing promise. He promised Abraham that he would be a father of nations. That’s what God said would happen, but it didn’t happen right away, and Abraham had to walk through some terrible times before he saw the first fruits of God’s word coming true. He didn’t live to see the full fruition of the promise in the coming of Christ and the reconciliation of the world to Himself. No, Abraham had to wait ten years before Isaac was born. At last, he must have thought, God is keeping His promise.
Then God asked the unthinkable. He asked Abraham to kill his son. I wonder what was going through Abraham’s mind when he heard that. Horror, certainly, that God would ask such a thing. How could the promise be fulfilled if he did as God asked? But Abraham was faithful, and, flying in the face of all human reason, he prepared to sacrifice Isaac. God, of course, did not allow him to follow through, and the people of the covenant were born.
Have you ever felt a prompting from God that made absolutely no sense to you in the moment? I certainly have, and I’m ashamed to say that sometimes I let that deter me from following that prompting. Other times, though, I have listened to that still, small voice and obeyed, and I have seen wonders because of that obedience. You can, too. All you have to do is listen and obey. It’s just that simple. A lot of times it’s not very easy, but it is that simple.
How about Moses? God set quite a task for him, but He gave him a promise to go along with it. God told Moses,
“And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:7–12)
God asked Moses to free His people and bring them into their own land. Moses was naturally concerned about how he was going to accomplish such a gargantuan mission. God’s response to him? “I will be with you.” He didn’t tell Moses He would part the Red Sea, or send manna from heaven, or bring water from a rock. He just said that He would be with him. Thank God, Moses believed God and walked out in faith. The rest, as they say, is history. God doesn’t usually tell us how the story will end. He just tells us what we need to know in that instant and waits for our answer.
So what are some of the promises that God has given to us? One of the promises that comes to my mind immediately is the promise attached to tithing. God has said,
“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:10–12)
This is one of the few places in the Bible that God asks that we put Him to the test. My wife, Joanne, and I have walked this, and we are here to testify that if you are faithful in this, God will be faithful in His promise for your finances.
Another promise that God makes us is found in the Ten Commandments. It says, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12)
If you want a long and happy life, then honor Mom and Dad. I believe honoring them doesn’t stop when they die. Some folks think it’s okay to put out all the dirty laundry once their parents are no longer around to object to it. I don’t think that’s the case. We should honor our parents until our last breath. If we’re faithful to keep this commandment, God will be faithful to keep His promise.
Now, the last two examples of God’s promises were a kind of if/then proposition: if you do this, then I will do that. They are promises with a condition attached to them. There are, however, plenty of promises that God makes to us that require nothing from us except belief that they are true. Here are some of them:
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; theywill run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)
“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you.”(Isaiah 54:10)
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”(Colossians 1:13–14)
“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”(Exodus 14:13–14)
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5)
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)
I could go on and on with the amazing promises that our Lord has given to us. But here’s the catch: we have to believe that what God says is true. Now, don’t get upset with my saying this. I’m not saying that you’re an unbelieving people. I’m saying that we’re all unbelieving people every now and again. We all have times when we feel beaten down and don’t feel that God is anywhere in sight. Sometimes we doubt that God loves us the way that He said He did. Sometimes we remember some horrible thing we have done and struggle to believe that God could really forgive us for that. We all do it, but we can change our thinking. If we ask God, He will strengthen our faith through the power of the Holy Spirit within us. Remember that God abides in us.
I think that if we would take a little time to meditate on the promises of God every day, then they would so seep into our inmost parts that we would be able to call upon them with a certainty of conviction. We must let the promises of God marinate our brains until they are a part of the very fiber of our being. The promises I just mentioned are a good place to start, but they are by no means an exhaustive list. There are many booklets on the market today that list the promises of God. If you’re interested, I’ll look into getting a hold of some of those books for you. Memorize the promises. Let them seep into your soul. Believe God, and the riches of heaven will pour into your life and the lives of many people around you.