I sat quietly waiting for the bus to be filled up. Suddenly, a book vendor appeared with a confident smile. He knew that as his customer, I was going to buy at least one book from his stock of books. He brought out and showed me a copy of “800 Promises from the Word of God” by David Wilkerson. While I glanced through the content table and the blurb, I began to cogitate. I asked myself: How many of the 800 promises do I know? What proportion of these promises has been fulfilled in my life? Why are some of these promises not fulfilled in my life and in the lives of many children of God? What do I need to do to enjoy God’s promises?
It is worthy of note that aside from God’s modus operandi and prophecies, the Bible – God’s Word, is a compendium of God’s promises. God has given His children – those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, these promises so that they become partakers of His nature – wise, fruitful, joyous, prosperous, healthy etc. The Apostle Peter described these promises as great and precious. They are great and precious because they cut across every aspect of life – promise of salvation, supply, protection, love, fruitfulness, healing and sound health, peace, joy, eternal life or eternity, to name but a few.
“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2nd Peter 1:4)
A promise, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a declaration or assurance that one will do something or that a particular thing will happen. From the biblical perspective, God made all the assurances and through His Spirit, inspired saints to write the Bible (See 2nd Timothy 3:16-17). However, so many Christian believers are crying day and night for some of these promises to be fulfilled in their lives. Does this mean that God fails to fulfill His promises? Of course not, because: “For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes in Him [Christ]. For this reason, we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God through Him [in His Person and by His agency] to the glory of God” (2nd Corinthians 1:20). God sent and sacrificed His Son – Jesus Christ, to fulfill every promise He has made. So, in Christ we inherit God’s promises (See Ephesians 1:11; Galatians 3:29). God’s Word is infallible and whatever God has said, He will do it. Like a gospel singer said, we need to ask Abraham and Sarah, the woman with the issue of blood, mama Hannah and Bartimaeus about what God is capable of doing.
“God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He has promised]. Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken and shall He not make it good? (Numbers 23:19)
The fulfillment of any of the promises might linger or be delayed for a while, that does not imply that God has forgotten your case and His promise will not work for you. God has promised His children that the Word He has spoken will not return back to Him without fulfilling the purpose for which it was sent (See Isaiah 55:11). The same way God visited Sarah according to His promise, He will visit you today in Jesus’ name.
The Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for her as He had promised. (Genesis 21:1)
Remember, God’s promises are conditional. He has promised salvation to those who believe that Jesus Christ came, died and rose to save them and in addition, those who confess Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior (See Romans 10:9-10). In Exodus 23:25-26, God promised sound health and prosperity to those who serve Him. We need to check the aspect of our lives God’s promises are yet to be fulfilled using these yardsticks: relationship with God, ignorance of God’s promises, obedience/disobedience, faith in God’s promises, prayer life and more.
You can only enjoy God’s great and precious promises if you have accepted Jesus Christ into heart. Say this prayer of salvation: Dear Jesus Christ, come into my heart. I believe that You came, died and rose again to save me. I confess that You are my personal Lord and Savior and I declare that I am born again. God’s promises will find full expression in my life from today. Amen!
By Sunday Omori
HEM Int'l 