Unfortunately, we humans do not keep all the promises we make – for three reasons, among others:
- We overestimate ourselves. After we have promised something, we realize at some point that we cannot keep that promise, although we would want to. We are not omnipotent.
- Or we regret a promise afterwards. Either the person we promised something to disappoints us, or it turns out that the promise was not a good one to make. We are not omniscient.
- Or we make a false promise with no intention of fulfilling it at all. We are not without fault.
But our Lord has all these qualities. He is…
- … omnipotent – so He is able to keep all His promises.
- … omniscient – so He will never make an inappropriate promise that he would have to go back on.
- … faultless – so He will not act unfaithfully or unreliably but will fulfill his promises.
Because this is the case, we can be without fear. Then we know that none of the many, many promises of the Bible will remain unfulfilled. So we can avoid doubting questions such as “Does God really mean well to me? Will God really always be with me as He has promised? Does God really have everything under control? Will God really do what He has promised me?”
In many places in the Bible, God tells us that this is exactly what He will do. Two examples:
- “Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.” (Josh 23:14)
- “Then the Lord said to me, ‘You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.’” (Jer 1:12)
“God does not fulfill all our wishes, but all his promises.” (unknown)
This trust in God’s promises is exemplified in the life of the missionary Hudson Taylor. When a friend of his tried to persuade him before his first trip abroad not to embark on the dangerous journey with an uncertain outcome, he replied: “The Lord has said: ‘I am with you always, to the end of the age!’ That, my friends, is the word of a man of honor. So let me go!” Years later, he reported: “On this word, I risked everything, and I was never disappointed!”
When we trust God, we don’t enter into any risks. God cannot lie (Titus 1:2 and 1 John 5:10) and therefore cannot deceive. It is reasonable to trust Him. We must never entertain the thought that the Lord will not fulfill a promise. He may fulfill it later than we had hoped, perhaps in a different way than we had hoped – but He will keep it! Relying on this is not a matter of feelings but of faith and trust.
Oswald J. Smith summed it up very well: “God’s faithfulness is like the great mountains; it stands firm and immovable. Every prediction in his word must be fulfilled, and every promise must come true. For these are the predictions and promises of a faithful God.”
“I can count on the Lord Jesus. Those who count on him never miscalculate.” (unknown)
The Lord Jesus tells you today: “Don’t be afraid! Trust my reliability, that I will keep every single one of my promises. Rely on the fact that I am 100% trustworthy!”
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