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If i was to ask you, “Does God keep His promises?” – i will venture that you and i would both say, “Yes!” We would point to promises He has given us, and the way we have seen those promises fulfilled. We would point to the many promises He has made throughout His Word, and the many examples of His faithfulness evidenced in His Word. Most notably, we would point to Jesus – who came in fulfillment of His promise – and who has promised to come again!
But allow me to ask a different question: “Are you currently in a place that you are waiting on God to fulfill a specific promise He has given you? And, if so, have you been waiting for a long time … and is the end nowhere in sight?”
A couple of years ago, Leanna Crawford recorded the song “Truth I’m Standing On” (lyrics and link below) that expresses a beautiful balance of dependence and faith as we wait on God for the fulfillment of His promise(s). The lyrics acknowledge the fear and doubt that can creep into our thoughts and lives as we stand in the gap between faith and sight. But even more importantly, the song points to the reality that God’s promise is truth and His truth is our foundation – despite anything else we might see lurking in the shadows or hear being whispered into our ears.
For those of us who are in that place, it would behoove us to remember the situation in which the people of Israel found themselves after wandering in the wilderness for forty years. The promise God had given them had been a long time coming. At least ten generations had passed since God had given His promise and made His covenant with Abraham. He had given them the grace to endure, and had delivered them from slavery. He had raised up a leader (Moses) to be His undershepherd for them and on their behalf. He led them into the wilderness and shaped them to be a people called by His name.
He had given them His name (the people of God). He had given them His Law. He had given them water to drink, meat to eat and manna to sustain. He revealed Himself in the cloud and in the pillar of fire. He had parted the sea and defeated their enemies. He had led them through the wilderness, even when their disobedience caused them to wander. He kept their clothes and sandals from wearing out.
And now, the time was approaching … to possess that which He had promised.(1) But His promise had been more than just land. His promise had been more than just His provision. His promise had been more than just His protection. His promise was Himself. They would be His people. He would be their God. He would be with them. He would not fail them. He would not abandon them. He never had. He never would.
But the reality is that they didn’t need to cross the Jordan to possess His promise. They didn’t even have to travel through the wilderness or leave Egypt to possess His promise. They didn’t need to be rescued from bondage to possess His promise. Because … He was their promise to possess.
And He is our promise to possess. He created us. He redeemed us from our sin. He chose us. He called us to Himself. He adopted us into His family. He has given us eternal life – not only for the hereafter, but also for the here and now. He is our Provider. He is our Protector. He is our Savior. He is our Lord. He is our God. We are His people. We are called by His name. He will be with us. He will not fail us. He will not abandon us. He never has. He never will.
His promise does not lie before us. He is our promise. His promise is not something we look forward to in the future, His promise is Himself whom we can hold onto in the here and the now … because He has hold of us.
Yes, there is an end to this wilderness we are walking through – and He knows when that will be and how He will bring it about. He may choose to bring it about miraculously – just like the collapse of the walls at Jericho.(2) Or He may require us to labor for our victory.(3)
He may choose to deliver us from our wilderness in a way we might expect, or more than likely, He will do so in a way that we could never even hope or imagine – because He is our promise to possess! His timing will always be perfect – it was true for them, and it will be true for us. His way will always bring Him the greatest glory, and us the greatest good – it was true for them, and it will be true for us.(4)
No matter what we may be waiting for, God’s promise is not for us to obtain in the future, His promise is already ours to possess!
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A portion of this post is adapted from the preface of Possessing The Promise, the third book in the Lessons Learned In The Wilderness series is available through Amazon in print or for your e-reader. Click HERE for more information on how you can obtain your copy of the book.
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(1) Joshua 1:2-5
(2) Joshua 6:20
(3) Joshua 8:18-19
(4) Romans 8:28
Copyright © 2022 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.
Photo by Mission Media on Lightstock
Truth I’m Standing on
Scared, oh I thought I knew scared
But I'm so filled with fear
I can barely move
Doubt, I've had my share of doubt
But never more than right now
I'm wondering where are You
Here on the edge of fall apart
Somehow Your promises
Find my troubled heart
This is the truth I'm standing on
Even when all my strength is gone
You are faithful forever
And I know You'll never
Let me fall
Right now, I'm choosing to believe
Someday soon, I'll look back and see
All the pain had a purpose
Your plan was perfect all along
This is the truth I'm standing on
Good, I believe You're still good
Even when life's not good
I will not lose this hope
That the God who parts the sea
Promises He's gonna
Make a way for me
Oh, this is the truth I'm standing on
Even when all my strength is gone
You are faithful forever
And I know You'll never
Let me fall
Right now, I'm choosing to believe
Someday soon, I'll look back and see
All the pain had a purpose
Your plan was perfect all along
This is the truth I'm standing on
My rock, my shield, my firm foundation
I know I will not be shaken
You remind me
Where my help comes from
This is the truth I'm standing on
Even when all my strength is gone
You are faithful forever
And I know You'll never
Let me fall
Right now, I'm choosing to believe
Someday soon, I'll look back and see
All the pain had a purpose
Your plan was perfect all along
This is the truth I'm standing on
Written by Matthew Joseph West, Leanna Crawford, Andrew Pruis
Truth I’m Standing On (Official Lyric Video) – performed by Leanna Crawford