"Promises, promises!" Sometimes my husband and I tease each other good-naturedly when one says they'll do or get something for the other. We tease because we know each other: we know that through the best of intentions, we may never see the promised results. Whether its the snack from the kitchen or a hearty promise to change an undesirable characteristic about ourselves, we know that we frequently fail.
Why do we do that? Because we don't love each other? Hardly! Because we're human? Most definitely. As humans, we forget, we have a fallen nature that selfishly wants to meet MY needs (or wants) first, or we're distracted, or we're incapacitated after the fact (an injury, illness, or other unforeseeable life-changing event), or we give up because it's too hard, or we just didn't realize that it would, indeed, be impossible.
When we read the Bible or hear a promise quoted, our human nature often applies the same distrust we have for other humans toward God and His promises. The only problem is that there is a HUGE difference between God and humans in the department of promise-keeping. In His very nature, he is diametrically opposed to our frailties.
So why is it so important to be able to trust God, and by trusting God, being able to trust His promises? What would be different about our lives if we were to TRULY trust God? I can think of a few things in my own life, but pause for a moment, and think of how such a thing would impact YOU.
Okay - here's my take on it. In my own life, I would worry much less, which would result in better health for me (do you have a CLUE what stress does to our bodies!?). I would do things out of my comfort zone more often. I would have better relationships with people around me, as I'm not depending on THEM, but on HIM to do what needs to happen. I'd go through trials with a very different perspective - maybe grow even more than necessary. I know I'll add to that list as I go, and I look forward to seeing the results!
So what brings this topic to mind? Well, I've been asked to speak at a ladies retreat in October, and this is the topic I've picked. Why? I'd love to say I picked it because it's something I've mastered, that I never worry, and I just have so much perfection oozing out of me that I thought I'd show up so that some of it can ooze right on to you. Instead, this is a topic that has been impacting me for - really my whole life, but - a number of years. And I'm STILL learning. I'm glad that I get to speak on this topic, for all the encouragement, faith, and growth it will produce in ME.
I've generally been a worry-wart most of my life - mostly just so excited about the future and the new adventures that it might hold, that I want to know EVERY detail ahead of time (my husband calls it my control-freak mode)! And when it turns out that the new adventures don't match up to all the details I had planned, it's thrown me for a loop.
So from the counsel of two different people - make that three - in specific, I've had some dynamic changes in my life - and they've all pointed to depending on God's promises. Each one helped me apply it in a slightly different way.
First, when I was in the depths of depression, Pat kept hounding me with promises from the Bible that I needed to truly learn to count on. As I studied and learned from these promises, things began to change - I gained more confidence, and gradually climbed out of my hole.
Later, as I sought a deeper walk with God, Dayle mentored and counseled me to "take every thought captive". Basically, she taught me an even more specific way to take those promises to heart. I learned from her that I couldn't let even one wayward thought go unanswered by a promise (or command) from God. Left unchecked, I would easily spiral into more unbiblical thoughts, actions, and eventually habits. The more I applied this concept, the more quickly I was able to snap out of unhealthy patterns.
And thirdly, God has used my husband, Duane to help me LIVE this promises. We've been learning to walk through life together, challenging each other, taking turns being the example of trusting God, and pushing through life's crazy circumstances while learning to trust our Sovereign God all the more.
Though I don't know where God's going to take this study, I do believe we'll see two key concepts showing up regularly - 1, is God's Promises, and 2, is God's Sovereignty. The reason I see these so intertwined, is because I can't truly trust God's promises, if I don't believe He is 100% sovereign - i.e. that he's ABLE to keep his promises.
So what about you? How have God's promises impacted YOUR life? I'd love to hear!
