God’s Promises

Gather the riches of God's promises. Nobody can take away from you those texts from the Bible which you have learned by heart.  Corrie Ten Boom

Have you ever set a goal and failed at reaching that goal?  There is something that many of us don’t do in relation to setting goals.  We leave God out of the equation.  It’s kind of like saying 2 + 2 = 6.  The end result just doesn’t add up.  If I decide to set a goal for the year I should first look at the Bible for guidance.  If my goal doesn’t align with God’s Word and His promises then it isn’t a goal I should pursue.

Too many times we set our goal and we don’t even consult with God before we jump in with both feet.  We think we know how to reach the goal with just our abilities, knowledge and strength, but in reality we haven’t done our homework.  In reality our goals should be God’s goals backed up by His promises. 

God’s promises are often overshadowed by what we want out of life.  We forget what our true goal in life should be and we pursue stuff. 

I was reading about Abraham and Isaac.  Can you imagine waiting years to have a son and then God speaks to you and tells you to sacrifice your only son on the altar.  Can you picture walking along a dirt road holding your child’s hand in yours as you walk him to his death?  I believe Abraham had goals for his son and they didn’t include sacrificing him on an altar.  I think fear and disbelief would have been my big motivator in that moment.  Then imagine your child walking up to the altar carrying the wood and him turning to you his parent and saying, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering.”  Can you imagine looking down into your child’s trusting face realizing that he is the lamb and then tying him to an altar as a sacrifice?  That’s faith in God’s promises. That’s belief in a Great God. 

We love a Great God but too many times we forget His promises and decide that we know what is best for us.  If we don’t bury His promises in our hearts, how can we ever hope to reach the goals God has set before us?   

        

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I admit I often don’t have enough faith in You.  I often place my faith in my abilities and many times my goals don’t even align with what You call me to do in this life.  Thank You for Your patience with me.  Thank You for loving me enough to keep trying to bring me back to You.  I pray for the faith of Abraham, who was willing to sacrifice his only son because he trusted in You and understood that You only wanted what was best for him as You want for me.  You are a Great God!

Scripture: “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”  Genesis 24:12-18