Adoniram Judson, first Baptist foreign missionary from America, once said, "The prospects are as bright as the promises of God."
I'd say those are pretty bright prospects, wouldn't you? I've been thinking about God's promises lately, and how His timetable is not on our schedule.
In God's Word we find many promises. Most have been fulfilled, and there are a few prophetic ones yet to come. Even in Scripture, especially in Scripture, we see the human nature to doubt God's Word.
From the very first promise (If you eat that, you will die!) humans have doubted God's Word. People today are still doubting.
As I thought about promises I realized something; Anyone can make a promise, but you're only credible if you've been faithful in the past. If you promise me you'll do something, I'll take you at your word--until you break your word. After that, I'm not so prone to believe you! I know people who make promises but never fulfill them. I don't love them any less, but I tend to take their word with a grain of salt. I smile and say, "That's good." Yet I don't have any expectations that they'll do what they say. Their actions have born witness against their words. (It's not that I don't forgive them, because truly I love them, I just know from experience not to believe it until I see it.)
People may let you down, intentionally or unintentionally, and that's a simple part of life, but why do we treat God as if He will do that? Why do we doubt His promises when He has never once failed us or let us down? We have a Bible full of instances where God promised something and honored it. It may have taken a very long time, but in His time, He brought it to pass.
I thought of Abraham and Sarah who had been promised a son that all nations would be blessed by. At 90 and 100 they were still childless, and when God reaffirmed the promise, Sarah laughed. I don't think it was a laugh of joy, but rather a laugh of incredulity. "A baby? In my old age I'm going to be a mother of a bouncing baby boy? Oh sure! Like that's going to happen."
The Bible doesn't say, but I imagine that in her old age, being reminded yet again of a promise that seemed out of reach, caused her pain, and resulted in a laugh of bitterness. Oh, but God!
What of His other promises? I thought of the promise of the Messiah's birth. Again, from the very first book of the Bible there was a promise given to the first family that a Saviour would come. All throughout the Old Testament there are prophecies and types of Christ given to Israel to confirm to them that God would do as He said.
But then, there were four hundred years of silence. Some cults would like us to believe that inter-testament period was filled with the writings of the Apocrypha. No, this was a time when God was silent to His people. Can you imagine four hundred years without hearing from God? It tears my nerves up when I've broken fellowship with Him and can't hear from Him on a daily basis. I'd never want to think of centuries without His word, His presence, or His power.
Then one day an angel appeared a young virgin girl and told her something that would knock the socks off of most women!
Telling her she's about to become a mother is not what a girl in her position wants to hear. She could, according to the law, be put away from Joseph (in fact, he intends that very thing when he learns about it) and there is a strong possibility that she could be stoned publicly to death.
So what is her response?
Did you also notice Mary's response? She basically said, "I'm God's servant. Whatever He wants is fine by me." She said that, knowing what the consequences might be, and knowing God had been silent for 400 hundred years, until this very moment when He sent His messenger.
Imagine her telling her beloved Joseph...
"Dear, I have something to tell you. You see, I'm going to have a baby! Not just any baby, but the Messiah, the Saviour! An angel appeared and told me so! Isn't that wonderful? Aren't you just so excited?"
I imagine as Joseph willed his heart to start beating again he might have said something to the effect of, "What do you mean an angel spoke to you? God hasn't spoken to His people like that in at least 400 years! All of a sudden He chose to speak to you?"
Yet in Luke 2:6, we read that God had purposed and promised a time, and it WAS fulfilled!
Again, let me restate, God has a timetable, though it may not line up with ours, and regardless of what anyone thinks, He will fulfill what He promised.
One last promise I want to share, and it is one that is precious to me! This one doesn't involve a birth, but rather, a resurrection!
I have heard my entire life that Jesus is coming soon. Back in the 70's and 80's it was a common thing to be preached. Not so much now.
Years ago, some ladies in my family and I were sitting around my aunt's living room. One of them said, "You know, Daddy always said Jesus was coming soon. Daddy's dead but Jesus still hasn't come. I think they used to say things like that to scare us into getting saved."
I spoke up and assured them, Jesus was indeed coming again, and even the Bible warned of those that scoffed that promise. Whether they believed me, I don't know, but one thing I do know, and cling to in this ever increasingly wicked world is that,
JESUS IS COMING AGAIN!!!!
Believe Him or not, He is. He's coming, and those of us who are saved are going with Him! He's coming a I pray it's soon! We can have confidence that God will fulfill His promise, not only because He said it (and that would make it good enough!) but because we have a Biblical record of Him fulfilling all His previous promises. He will do what He said He would do, so no matter how dark this world grows (and I can't believe the changes for the worse I've seen in my lifetime!) know with surety that He is coming! He hasn't forgotten us, He's just waiting for that moment, and when it happens the trumpet will sound....
I'd say those are pretty bright prospects, wouldn't you? I've been thinking about God's promises lately, and how His timetable is not on our schedule.
In God's Word we find many promises. Most have been fulfilled, and there are a few prophetic ones yet to come. Even in Scripture, especially in Scripture, we see the human nature to doubt God's Word.
From the very first promise (If you eat that, you will die!) humans have doubted God's Word. People today are still doubting.
As I thought about promises I realized something; Anyone can make a promise, but you're only credible if you've been faithful in the past. If you promise me you'll do something, I'll take you at your word--until you break your word. After that, I'm not so prone to believe you! I know people who make promises but never fulfill them. I don't love them any less, but I tend to take their word with a grain of salt. I smile and say, "That's good." Yet I don't have any expectations that they'll do what they say. Their actions have born witness against their words. (It's not that I don't forgive them, because truly I love them, I just know from experience not to believe it until I see it.)
People may let you down, intentionally or unintentionally, and that's a simple part of life, but why do we treat God as if He will do that? Why do we doubt His promises when He has never once failed us or let us down? We have a Bible full of instances where God promised something and honored it. It may have taken a very long time, but in His time, He brought it to pass.
I thought of Abraham and Sarah who had been promised a son that all nations would be blessed by. At 90 and 100 they were still childless, and when God reaffirmed the promise, Sarah laughed. I don't think it was a laugh of joy, but rather a laugh of incredulity. "A baby? In my old age I'm going to be a mother of a bouncing baby boy? Oh sure! Like that's going to happen."
The Bible doesn't say, but I imagine that in her old age, being reminded yet again of a promise that seemed out of reach, caused her pain, and resulted in a laugh of bitterness. Oh, but God!
Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.Genesis 18:14The key here, is that God appointed a time...and in that time He fulfilled His promise.
What of His other promises? I thought of the promise of the Messiah's birth. Again, from the very first book of the Bible there was a promise given to the first family that a Saviour would come. All throughout the Old Testament there are prophecies and types of Christ given to Israel to confirm to them that God would do as He said.
But then, there were four hundred years of silence. Some cults would like us to believe that inter-testament period was filled with the writings of the Apocrypha. No, this was a time when God was silent to His people. Can you imagine four hundred years without hearing from God? It tears my nerves up when I've broken fellowship with Him and can't hear from Him on a daily basis. I'd never want to think of centuries without His word, His presence, or His power.
Then one day an angel appeared a young virgin girl and told her something that would knock the socks off of most women!
Keep in mind, Mary is most likely young, has been raised in a time where God has been silent for four hundred years, and she's espoused to a well respected man who is expecting her to be pure when he comes for her.And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Luke 1:30-33
Telling her she's about to become a mother is not what a girl in her position wants to hear. She could, according to the law, be put away from Joseph (in fact, he intends that very thing when he learns about it) and there is a strong possibility that she could be stoned publicly to death.
So what is her response?
Did you catch that? Both at this birth announcement, and the birth announcement of Isaac, there is affirmation that NOTHING is too hard or impossible for God! In both circumstances neither of these women, for very different reasons, should be able to have a son. Yet, in both circumstances, God overruled the expectations of man and did something great.For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:37-38
Did you also notice Mary's response? She basically said, "I'm God's servant. Whatever He wants is fine by me." She said that, knowing what the consequences might be, and knowing God had been silent for 400 hundred years, until this very moment when He sent His messenger.
Imagine her telling her beloved Joseph...
"Dear, I have something to tell you. You see, I'm going to have a baby! Not just any baby, but the Messiah, the Saviour! An angel appeared and told me so! Isn't that wonderful? Aren't you just so excited?"
I imagine as Joseph willed his heart to start beating again he might have said something to the effect of, "What do you mean an angel spoke to you? God hasn't spoken to His people like that in at least 400 years! All of a sudden He chose to speak to you?"
Yet in Luke 2:6, we read that God had purposed and promised a time, and it WAS fulfilled!
Again, let me restate, God has a timetable, though it may not line up with ours, and regardless of what anyone thinks, He will fulfill what He promised.
One last promise I want to share, and it is one that is precious to me! This one doesn't involve a birth, but rather, a resurrection!
It's easy to look back and say, "Sure, God promised Sarah and Mary something and fulfilled it." We know He did because it's already taken place. It's not as easy to believe a promise if you're still waiting on it to be fulfilled, but that's why faith is so important.In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. I Corinthians 15:52-58
I have heard my entire life that Jesus is coming soon. Back in the 70's and 80's it was a common thing to be preached. Not so much now.
Years ago, some ladies in my family and I were sitting around my aunt's living room. One of them said, "You know, Daddy always said Jesus was coming soon. Daddy's dead but Jesus still hasn't come. I think they used to say things like that to scare us into getting saved."
I spoke up and assured them, Jesus was indeed coming again, and even the Bible warned of those that scoffed that promise. Whether they believed me, I don't know, but one thing I do know, and cling to in this ever increasingly wicked world is that,
JESUS IS COMING AGAIN!!!!
Believe Him or not, He is. He's coming, and those of us who are saved are going with Him! He's coming a I pray it's soon! We can have confidence that God will fulfill His promise, not only because He said it (and that would make it good enough!) but because we have a Biblical record of Him fulfilling all His previous promises. He will do what He said He would do, so no matter how dark this world grows (and I can't believe the changes for the worse I've seen in my lifetime!) know with surety that He is coming! He hasn't forgotten us, He's just waiting for that moment, and when it happens the trumpet will sound....
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