“God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good” (Numbers 23:19)?
Words are cheap, and promises seem to be cheaper at times. Recently I was in a meeting and I was talking about us making a promise/commitment to God. As I asked if folks were willing to promise God that they would follow His will for their lives, a voice was heard from the audience saying, “Promises can be broken.” In most cases I would agree. However, according to this wonderful verse in Numbers 23, we can totally trust in the promises God makes to us in the Word of God.
If God makes us a promise in His Word, I guarantee you that you can build your life upon it. If God says something will happen, it is as if it has already taken place. What is the difference between the promises we make each other as human beings, and the promises of God? Well, the voice from the crowd that said, “Promises can be broken …” was talking about us, not about God. When another person makes a promise to you, it generally means that they will “try their best” to do what they have told you they will do. Making a promise to a friend or family member is always based on our ability to make it happen.
This is where God’s promises are totally different than ours. Where we are sometimes limited in our ability to carry out the promise we have made, our God has limitless ability! You may have the best intentions to do what you have promised, but the resources you thought you had, might not be available when the time comes, and you find yourself failing at the promise you have made. God has never had that problem, and He never will. If God makes a promise to us, we can stand firmly on that promise because He has the ultimate power to make it come about.
We live in a world full of promises … and we all know the disappointment of an unfulfilled promise. You are holding a Bible that is full of promises from God. Every last one of those promises has come true for those who have trusted them in the past, and will come true for those of us who will place our faith and trust in them now and in the future. Be careful not to walk through this life worrying and fretting about things when God has given you a Book full of promises. Those promises were made from a loving Father to his needy children. You can trust your Heavenly Father today. The world will fail you, but He never has, and never will!