THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015
Job 23:1–27:23
2 Corinthians 1:12–2:11
Psalm 41:1–13
Proverbs 22:5,6
“But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not ‘Yes’ and ‘No.’ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not ‘Yes’ and ‘No,’ but in him it has always been ‘Yes.’ 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. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Corinthians 1:18–22)
These verses encourages us to consider and embrace the promises that God has given us through our knowledge of Jesus Christ. These promises speak a resounding “Yes,” granting life to the full and the fruit of the Spirit to all who trust in Him. God has “set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” This seal of ownership marks us for eternity and gives us solid ground in our daily lives.
This mention of God’s promises recalls 2 Peter 1:3,4: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life 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, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
In Paul and Peter’s words, we understand that God has richly provided for our faith through sharing these promises and has given us “everything we need for a godly life.” These promises allow us to experience the fullness of God’s presence and to escape from the pull of evil. God has granted us strength to stand through His presence and the promises in His Word.
The Bible includes over 3,000 promises, and most such promises ultimately rest on God’s faithfulness. While the Old Testament speaks frequently of benefits accruing to the righteous, we understand that we all may become righteous only through faith in the completed work of Christ on the cross. Any faithfulness that we exercise ultimately stems from (1) reflecting and appreciating God’s faithfulness and (2) committing to honor Him.
As we approach this coming school year, I encourage you to take inventory of the personal challenges that you face and the challenges that our community, your workplace or school, and our nation face. Are any of these challenges beyond God’s awesome power? What promises has He offered on behalf of those challenges? What actions may you take in order to unleash God’s blessings in your spheres of influence?
Take, for example, the promise of Hebrews 13:5: “Never will I [God] leave you; never will I forsake you.” What does the continued presence of God mean for the tough spots you’re facing? How does His presence bring comfort and rest in the midst of stress, busyness, and worry?
Or consider Isaiah 55:11: “… So is my word that goes out from my mouth:/ It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire/ and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” With whom may we share God’s Word? How does this verse give us comfort if the initial response looks tepid?
Lord Jesus, we give You praise for, indeed, all promises are “Yes” in Your Name. Thank You for Your faithfulness to follow Your Father and for giving us this example of faithfulness. Send an overwhelming understanding and perception of Your Father’s love to us. Give us wisdom to understand Your purposes for our lives and the connections between these purposes and the promises of Your Word. Help us to share the promises of Your Word with those who are seeking You. We love You and want to bring You glory and honor in all that we do. In Your Name, we pray. Amen.
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