We have previously talked about the perfect peace that comes from God and that it is because of His steadfast love, but in this post we will be diving into how that love brings on His sure promises. When change comes around, it is important to remember God’s promises and how they stabilize, strengthen, and satisfy.

Stabilizes

“God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], a very present and well-proved help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains be shaken and slip into the heart of the seas,” Psalm 46:1-2

“My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater and mightier than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” John 10:29

God’s Word is full of promises, but I believe these to be the most comforting. When seasons of change tempt you to fear that everything will fall apart, remember Psalm 46. Often times it is just fear, but should the worst case scenario come to fruition, know that God is still a mighty fortress and strength. The psalmist is painting an extreme picture of mountains crashing into the sea to showcase the extreme, well-proven stability found in God. That stability is even greater when you realize it is found in the constant hand of God. In John 10, Jesus explains how that stability will never be broken. God is forever holding His children in His hand. Do not fall for the lie that you can slip out of His grasp. No amount of failing will loosen God’s hold on you. Do not believe the lie that there is a better place to be than the hand of God.

Strengthens

“He gives strength to the weary, and to him who has no might He increases power.” Isaiah 40:29

“For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13

There is a little-known hymn called “He Giveth More Grace”. I think it so aptly speaks to how God promises to strengthen His children. With lines that say “To added affliction He addeth His mercy; to multiplied trials, His multiplied peace” and “when we reach the end of our hoarded resources, our Father’s full giving is only begun” it puts to words the comforting and strengthening power that comes from God’s promises. It echoes Isaiah 40 in saying God gives strength to those who need it. God does not just lift up those who can stand on their own, He bends down and lifts up those who lack the power to even lift their head. He increases the power to the one who has none. Time and time again God choose the lowly people in the Bible, and by no strength of their own, they were built into instruments used to accomplish incredible things. Paul talks about this in Philippians 2. He teaches how God strengthens His children to do what they are called. A pastor of mine often says that God will not call you to something and not give you the strength to complete it. God is calling you to great things, that alone can be daunting, but the fact that God is in you, working to strengthen you, should free you to believe all that God has promised. How would your life change if you knew you had the creator of the universe giving you strength?

Satisfies

“And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.” Romans 8:28

“For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years [of exile] have been completed for Babylon, I will visit (inspect) you and keep My good promise to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

“For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all comparisons, a transcendent splendor and an endless blessedness]! So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

I am aware that even with the all-powerful God strengthening us, human nature is still present and there will be times when we are prone to stumble. God is not surprised when we stumble, He is already working it for good. When I look back on my life, I can see the good and the bad were both used by God to put me where I am now. Oftentimes, there are lessons that would only truly be learned through the hardest means. They may leave a mark, but that will serve as a reminder for the rest of your life. Remember that in Romans 8, it teaches that God uses all things to work together, not just the good but the bad all the same. The hard truth is that God never promises the bad goes away. We live in a fallen world filled with fallen people like us. Until Heaven, there will continue to be trials and hardships. We see this in Jeremiah 29, this chapter is widely known for verse 11 which sounds great, but with verse 10 you get a bigger picture of the context. God first promises 70 more years of exile, and then they will receive His promise. It gives a whole new light on the famous Jeremiah verse. It shows that God promises the end will be for ultimate good, but the in between may still be filled with bumpy roads ahead. As Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians, those are light and momentary distresses that should spur us to not look at the seen but the unseen. Most of what God does is done in the unseen. I heard it said that it is hard to run to God’s arms when you can’t see His hands working. When our faith runs low, it gets harder to worship and rejoice when we cannot see. No matter how hard it gets, whether in highlight or heartbreak, whether you see the promise or the pain, rejoice. Not because it’s easy, but because God is faithful and His word is sure. Hang on every word He’s said and know He’s faithful, wait on the wealth of promises and know He’s able.