A man named Russell Edward Herman left billions of dollars to thousands of people he’d never met. But there was one problem, Mr. Herman didn’t have billions of dollars. He was just a simple, poor carpenter when he died. The will of the late Russell Herman never paid off for his “beneficiaries.” Mr. Herman had great intentions, but he lacked the resources needed to make them a reality.
God’s promises, however, stand in sharp contrast to Mr. Herman’s promises. God not only has made great and precious promises, He has the ability to follow through on every single one of them. It’s been estimated that there are over 30,000 promises in the Bible! Peter calls these “great and precious” promises, and God is faithful to keep all His promises. Scripture says “… You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. Joshua 23:14-15”
In 2 Corinthians 5:7 Paul states that, “we walk by faith, not by sight.” By faith, as hard as it is, we trust in the invisible God and we stand on His promises. What is the promise you need to stand on today? Perhaps, in light of what is happening in our world right now, it is the one from Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus,” or our Heavenly Father’s promise, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Take hold of 1 Peter 5:10, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” Whatever it is that we need, God is able to keep His promises.
I really like this quote from the book Education, page 258, by Ellen G. White; “The gift is in the promise, and we may go about our work assured that what God has promised He is able to perform, and that the gift, which we already possess, will be realized when we need it most.” As we go about our day, let’s remember the familiar chorus, “standing, standing, standing on the promises of God my Savior; standing, standing, I’m standing on the promises of God!”
Bill Ochs, Planned Giving and Trust Services Director