Pray First
Read Genesis 9:8-13 and Genesis 15
I’m pretty sure every girl knows what a pinky promise is. We lock pinkies and take our vow to hold sacred that to which we have sworn. No girl in such a covenant would dare think of betraying that bond with her sister. Gals, you know what I mean, right? I think guys just hit each other on the shoulder.
When I was a young girl, my friend Cindy and I decided we wanted a friendship bond that could last a lifetime. We each made a small cut on our fingers, then smooshed our bloody fingers together, germs and all! We were now “blood sisters” and our bond was forever! I’m quite certain that’s not what God meant when He “cut covenant” with Abraham, or made a covenant with Noah, or Isaac or Jacob. But He meant business when he made a promise.
As Genesis 8 comes to a close, Noah and his family stood once again on terra firma relieved for the stillness after the flood. Gathering the birds he had nursed on the ark for months, he placed them over the burning embers of the altar offering thanksgiving to God for His mercy and protection. The smoke ascended to the heavens and God was pleased with the aroma. He made a covenant with Noah to never again destroy the earth with a flood. He set a rainbow in the sky to remind us of that promise. And to this day, God still sends a rainbow after the rain.
In Genesis 15, God made a promise to Abram saying, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” (v.5 NLT). God promised him that he would have a son with his wife Sarai, even though her womb had been barren. From that son, God would make a nation, greater than the number of stars Abram could see, and promised him land to possess.
Abram believed, but God wanted to assure Abram that His promises were true, that the promised land and the promised descendants would indeed be his. He went far above what Abram could ask or imagine to prove that He was serious about this covenant.
In his Enduring Word Commentary on Genesis 15, David Guzik teaches us that “in those days, contracts were made by the sacrificial cutting of animals, with the split carcasses of the animals lying on the ground. The covenant was made when parties to the agreement walked through the animal parts together; repeating the terms of the covenant. The LORD made a covenant in Genesis 15:18 is literally, ‘the LORD cut a covenant,'” The covenant was sealed with blood.
God told Abram to gather animals and cut them in half, laying the halves opposite one another. Abram knew that God was preparing a contract. Then God caused Abram to fall asleep. In this dream state, he watched as God alone, representing himself by the smoking pot and burning torch, passed between the animal halves. He slept while God established His covenant. God’s promise did not, and would not, be dependent on Abram.
God kept His promise, creating a great nation from Abram, the nation of Israel. He also promised Abram “all the people on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen 12:3 NIV). God sent his only son, Jesus, to be our Savior. Jesus came from Abram’s lineage.
God has made many other promises throughout his word, promises that we can count on because He never fails. “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you” (1 Chr 28:20 NASB).
God promises us salvation, giving us hope for eternity. He promises eternal life for all who will receive His invitation. “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9 NASB).
He promises us a future and a hope. When the Israelites were being held captive in Babylon, God declared to His children, “I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer 29:11 NIV). This is a promise for us as well, because when we believe in Jesus, we are called children of God. God demonstrated his heart for his children in this promise, assuring us “that beyond present circumstances, there is a carefully designed future intricately woven with purpose and promise” according to Britt Mooney in “7 Powerful Promises from God in the Bible”.
God promises His presence with us. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Is 41:10 NIV). No matter what battles, temptations, or uncertainties we face, we can have confidence knowing that in His divine presence. He has a firm grip and active involvement in every part of our lives. He is there to give us strength in our weakness, comfort in our pain, endurance when we are waning, and hope when we are hopeless.
God promises to provide for us. “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19 NIV). God’s riches extend beyond our physical needs, including our spiritual, mental and emotional needs; all of our needs. “We can trust a God whose generosity knows no bounds, whose wealth eclipses all lack, and whose faithfulness endures through every season of life,” according to Britt Mooney in “7 Powerful Promises from God in the Bible”. He can do more than we could ask or imagine.
How do we tap into these promises of God?
Trust Him whole-heartedly. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” sounds really great, but for some, trusting others may not be so easy. The journey to trust is often long; not because of God, but because of our own doubts and life experiences. “Lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight” (Prov 3:5-6 NIV). Trusting in Him and submitting to Him takes practice. We must daily admit that we can’t, not on our own. We must daily lay aside our own plans and daily surrender to His plans. Even when we don’t understand his ways or His timing, He promises that He really is working out what’s best for us (Rom 8:28).
Pray. God knows us better than anyone else and He is not standing ready to condemn us just because we are struggling with belief or trust. In the Gospel of Mark, a father wanted to believe Jesus to heal his son; he said, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief” (Mk 9:24 NIV). And Jesus healed his son. Now that man was painfully honest. But Jesus knew his heart was to believe. So talk that honestly with God. Tell Him if you’re struggling to believe His promises are true for you. Yes, He already knows that, but confession is good for the soul, and communication with God builds our relationship with Him. Believe it or not, He desires our presence. “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends” (Rev 3:20 NLT).
Practice His presence. What if God was sitting next to you at your last work meeting? Picture Him sitting in a chair right next to you when you pray. What if He knew your fear of going back to church after being away for so long? What if He was there when the doctor gave you some bad news? Maybe He saw you crying when your spouse left. He knows, He’s there, He hears. He cares. When we acknowledge that He is with us and that He sees us, we begin to change and can sense His presence better.
Read His promises, again and again. We can memorize our favorite verses so we can draw on them whenever we are struggling.
Pinky promises and blood sister bonds may not last a lifetime, but God’s promises are everlasting. Knowing His promises and that He is a promise keeper, can make all the difference in our lives. We can count on His promises because He isn’t human, He is divine in nature. He never fails. He has never lied and He never will. The promises in His word are as true for each of us today as they were for Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the same God today as He was then. Yes. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb 13:8 NIV).
Worship Song: Promises by Maverick City Music
Find Tracy on Facebook at Tracy Fields Todd, Writer, and on Instagram at @tracyftodd.
