His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)
Our faith is to be both strengthened and encouraged by all the promises of God. We would do well to hide them in our hearts as ammunition against the fiery arrows of the evil one. Just as Jesus combated evil with Scripture, so too, we are to have it in our hearts as our weapon of choice against the great adversary of our souls. When we are grounded in His Word and all of the promises within it, our strength is renewed and we are indeed equipped to “soar on wings like eagles”; “run and not grow weary”; and “walk and not be faint”, as the Prophet Isaiah writes.
Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV): “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.” His promises of faithfulness, fellowship and presence are given to all who obey His precepts and follow His commands as we hold fast to His Word. He loves for us to pray, “Lord You have said…” There is a great force in that plea as God does not go against His Word. Yet we must remember that it is the whole of God’s Word that makes the Christian whole. We do not get to pick and choose what we want to believe or adhere to or take Scripture out of context and build a false faith upon that. Every Word of God is Truth and will be fulfilled totally and completely. And He is ever faithful to keep His Word. Not one of God’s promises will ever fail.
Nothing in creation shares in the blessings of the promises of God – they are true Truth – and we can stand fast in them. And they are a feast for our soul’s comfort and strength. In His goodness God promises and in His faithfulness He keeps what He has promised – every.one.of.them. Just as Joshua writes in Joshua 21:45 (NIV): “Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” Believers in Jesus can expect likewise. If it has passed through His mouth, it will come to pass. Our trust is strengthened by God’s never failing faithfulness and we can stand fast in it. The victory has been won before the battle if He has promised it.
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. Romans 4:18-21 (NIV)