Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. And the Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands. Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass. (Joshua 21:43-45 ESV)
Have you ever experienced the bitter sting of a broken promise from a close friend? Few things hurt worse than this kind of betrayal, most likely because it marks the faltering trust between two friends.
For this reason, it is of eternal value to recognize the trustworthiness of almighty God. We serve a God of promises. He pledged a new land for His people, a child to the elderly Abraham, and a Savior for the world. Each of these and many more promises were fulfilled in time, according to His perfect will.
Hebrews 10:23 affirms, “He who promised is faithful.” Sometimes, however, God’s promises are marked with conditions. Although we serve a God of limitless grace and mercy, He often charges us with responsibilities upon which our success will depend.
In Hebrews 10:35-36 we see that confidence, obedience, and endurance are all vital elements in “receiving what has been promised."
Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. (Hebrews 10:35, 36 ESV)
This does not mean that we can earn God’s favor with good deeds. In truth, He loves us not for what we do, but because He cannot help loving each of us passionately just as we are.If we love Him in return, we must take responsibility for what He has called us to do. This is not a maneuver to finagle blessings from Him, but rather an act of humble submission to His will. When we operate from such a standpoint, we are in the perfect position to grab hold of what He wants to give us.
Trust is something we earn with one another. However, from the moment God saves us, He trusts us and believes in us. Does He think we will never sin again? The Father understands we will still make mistakes, but His Spirit lives in us—to sanctify and mature us in our faith.However, when there are people in our lives who promise us things but fail to deliver, an attitude of cynicism can seep into our thinking. Trusting anyone can be a major challenge for us when we have been disappointed time and time again. Unfortunately, we may transfer that cynical distrust to the Lord. Yet God has unchangingly maintained His just, holy, and trustworthy reputation throughout history. In His Word, we see that whenever He has promised anything, He has always fulfilled His promise.
For some people steeped in cynicism, this might take longer to believe than others. But in the end, the truth is revealed: God is faithful—always.The Father’s faithfulness is great, unchanging, and true. His promises do not always unfold the way we imagined, but He always keeps them.As God proves His faithfulness to us, we learn that He is ultimately trustworthy with everything—including our lives. Therefore, be assured—He truly is a God you can trust. Give Him the opportunity to prove it to you.(Exerpts from Dr. Charles Stanley)
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