Promises to Heal Your Heart

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)

During one of my four+ hour driving shifts during our trip, I was listening to this passage from the book of Joshua. (Listening to the bible being read aloud? I know!!! How cool, huh?)

The words seemed to jump out of the air and grab my attention.
"Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass."
NOT ONE WORD..."
Wow! This is the God that we serve. And this is hope. He gives hope, because He is faithful and true.

Reading and meditating on these words, I was filled with hope. I began to think of specific words God had spoken over our lives and that others had prayed over us. How wonderful to have the assurance that not one word of these promises would fail.

But these blessings did not just come to the Israelites. Connected to these promises of blessings were promises of trouble and punishment if the Israelites did not stay faithful to God.

"But just as all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the Lord will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the Lord your God has given you, if you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you." (Joshua 23:15, 16 ESV)

I began to think of the many promises that are scattered throughout the Bible. They are almost always conditional. Why? Because God is a just God and He cannot do anything that is contrary to His nature. To leave sin unpunished would be contrary to His nature of perfect justice.

But I cannot always perfectly obey God.
I cannot be righteous.
I cannot love perfectly.
I cannot be unendingly faithful.

So that is why Jesus came.

HE is always perfectly obedient to the Father.
HE is righteous.
HE always loves perfectly.
HE is unendingly faithful.

And because He gave me His righteousness, if I choose to accept and live in His righteousness, all the promises and blessing that He has promised are mine.
"Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord..." has made to me, His child, will fail.

Praise the Lord!

What better encouragement could there be as we are driving across the country to serve the Lord in what He has called us to do? All His promises...the hard ones where He has promised to make us like Jesus, and the wonderful ones where He has promised to keep us in perfect peace....are going to be fulfilled in us...are BEING fulfilled in us.

And the best promise is yet to be fulfilled...the promise of heaven. What a beautiful day that will be!

Praise the Lord!

Be blessed.
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