I hope tomorrow’s weather is nice. I sure hope the publisher received the edits I emailed. I always hope for just the right amount of rain or an answer to prayer. I might hope for a phone call. I’ve even hoped for miracles. You can probably relate. Most of us hope a lot of times for a lot of things. But at the end of the day, hope doesn’t always deliver what we’ve hoped for.
When I pick up my Bible, I find story after story of God’s incredible promises. It’s part of the overarching theme of scripture. The promises of God. From the beginning with Adam and Eve to the end with John giving us Revelation. It’s one promise after another.
The promises don’t always unfold the way we’d expect. I doubt that Moses would’ve written his story quite the way we read it. I’m certain that Elijah had different ideas for his part of the Book. The gospels unpack the unlikely lives of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John along with the others who closely followed Jesus. I’m pretty sure they each have parts of their story that make them want to hide in the corner or at the very least go back to fishing or collecting taxes. I don’t know about you, but I can relate.
I’ve given Satan more than a few things in my life to throw back at me, and I’ve been handed a fair amount of junk that I had no control over. But no matter what, my God was the promise that never failed. That’s because He can’t do anything contrary to who He is. If He said it ~ DONE. No discussion. No reconsideration. Nothing. His promises are always trustworthy and true.
We’re each called to be evangelists; that’s just a big word that means “someone who tells others about the gospel”. If our lives speak of hope, that’s definitely a good thing. We’re called to hope. We don’t grieve like those who have no hope. But I think we’re called to even more. I think we’re called to live from the perspective of promise. It seems like it wouldn’t be a big deal. But I think it’s huge. Living from promise means that I’m grounded in THE ONE TRUE GOD, who He is and what He says. I’m taking Him at His word.
Listen, many of us might be quick to say, “Yes, I believe the Bible and what it says”. But two minutes later we definitely aren’t acting like it. We aren’t living as if we’ve been given His promises.
I’m not sitting here typing away as if I have everything figured out. Plenty in my circle can testify that I certainly do not. What I do know is that while hope is a good thing, I’ve found His promises to be even better. His promises are reliable. He never fails. He doesn’t always explain while I’m floundering, but He doesn’t leave.
When I go to sleep tonight, I’m hoping and praying for a long list of things. But as I fall asleep, I’m at peace because of the promises He made.
Hebrews 10:23 ~ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.