Claiming God’s Promises

“Every good promise that the Lord your God made has come true. And in the same way, His other promises will come true….”
Joshua 23:15 (ICB)

“I promise!” Ever heard that before? Maybe you’ve been burned by broken promises.  Maybe you’ve made promises you didn’t keep as well. Promises are only as good as the one making them. There’s only one who can guarantee a promise - and that’s God.  Since we can’t control everything or predict the future, we may not be able to keep well-intentioned promises, but God can - and does - fulfill every promise He makes. You can bank your life on the promises of God!

Joshua needed to know that as he took the leadership of Israel from the hands of Moses. He needed to be assured of God’s will, provision, and protection. As Joshua looked back on all that God had done for him and through him to bring Israel into the Promised Land, he told the future leadership they could depend on God to come through for them as well! He said, “Every good promise that the Lord your God made has come true. And in the same way, His other promises will come true….” (Joshua 23:15, ICB).

What has God promised you? He promised to love you unconditionally! He promised to forgive you when you confessed your faults and sins to Him. He promised never to leave you or forsake you! The joy of reading God’s Word is discovering all the promises God has made to you and me. The Bible is so full of God’s promises that it is impossible to count them! Some people have tried to, and come up with about 7,000. Herbert Lockyer wrote a book called All the Promises of the Bible and claims to list 8,000. Needless to say, if you just open His Word, you will find some promises He has for you! And here’s the great news about God’s promises that Paul gives us in 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV): “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.”

The word “Amen” means “Yes!” or “so be it” or “let it be”. It’s a word of agreement to what God has said. Faith lays hold of those promises and claims them! When you read a promise, let your faith arise and trust God to do what He said He would. One of the best ways to do that is with thanksgiving. For example, if God promised never to leave you nor forsake you, thank Him for His abiding presence with you! If God promised to forgive you, thank Him for His grace and mercy toward you, which provided for your forgiveness. Thank Him for being your strength, your wisdom, and your provision for all you need! Walk in agreement with the promises of God. Say “Amen!” “Let it be, Lord!”  “Yes, I claim Your promise and wait in expectation!” Then, walk in obedience to what He has told you to do. That’s what the disciples did in the Upper Room as they waited for the promise Jesus told them was coming. Every good promise Jesus made had come true, and they knew this promise would come true as well.

Which promises are you claiming in your life?     

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Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.

Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.