No More
Tag: God’s Promises
We Have Come a Long Way
The Spirit of Truth (YouVersion Daily Refresh 5-17-25)
One of the major promises in the Old Testament is that one day the Spirit of God would dwell within the people of God. Previously, the people of God interacted with the presence of God within the temple.
In fulfillment of Scripture, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to guide and comfort God’s people. This has big implications. It means that Christians have access to the presence of God by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. God’s Spirit is with us wherever we go.
Jesus mentions in John 16:13 that the Spirit of God will guide us into all truth. God desires to be part of our daily journey through life, helping us and guiding us towards what is right.
When we have questions about what direction in life to take, the Holy Spirit is there to help us. When we’re not sure what is right or wrong, the Holy Spirit is with us to bring light to our decision.
Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will speak to us in accordance with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit will also reinforce and help us understand what we read in Scripture.
Throughout this week, make an effort to be mindful of the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life. Remind yourself that God is with you every day. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and illuminate your path in life, and spend time praying to be comforted and strengthened by God.
My Thoughts
I don’t know about you, but I have come a long way in my faith walk. I started by going to Sunday school with a neighbor to a local Presbyterian church. When I went to college, I sometimes went to my roommate’s Catholic Church, just to see what it was like. I couldn’t really understand much of the service since at the time, most of it was in Latin. Then, I graduated from college, moved into my own apartment, and a neighbor introduced me to Jesus as Lord and Savior. Shortly thereafter, a pastor introduced me to the Holy Spirit and the fact that He lives within me. That…that was the life change I needed to continue my faith walk and to get closer to God.
When I have difficulty making a choice and have to make one in a split second, I depend on the Holy Spirit to guide me. When I am lonely, frustrated, getting angry or depressed about life’s circumstances, if I can just get still for a few minutes and still my raging thoughts, the Holy Spirit will calm me.
One of the things I have purposed to do this year is memorize more Scripture. I confess that I am not very good at it, but I keep plugging along. One of the verses I memorized is John 14:26 which says: “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Teaching and reminding are important parts of my life, especially as I grow older and forget things more often. Leaning into the Holy Spirit for help remembering God’s faithfulness when my faith is failing helps me to get through hard times. We all need to be reminded of where we started and where we are now, if only for the sake of learning to be appreciative. I am so glad that God promised the Holy Spirit, fulfilled His promise and now His Spirit lives within me, not in a hokey, woo-woo kind of way, but in a way that is as real and as close as my next breath. I try to be ever mindful of the Holy Spirit in my life and I desire to make choices that would be pleasing to God by following His leading. I hope each of you who reads this post today take time to reflect on the difference the Holy Spirit’s presence has made in your life and take time to thank God for this awesome promise. We have indeed all come a long way!
God’s Promises
Have you ever promised someone something that you fully intended to do, but then life got in the way and you couldn’t keep your promise? If that has happened to you, as it has to me, then you know that the person to whom you made the promise is disappointed and so are you. I have learned from experience to tell people that I can’t make a promise, but I will do my best to fulfill a commitment.
God keeps all of His promises, a statement that is hard for us to comprehend. The God of the Universe doesn’t make promises He cannot keep, so we can trust Him to follow His own Word.
There are many studies online about God’s promises. There are books written about God’s promises. There are testimonies of God’s keeping His promises and churches built because of a promise that God made to a group of people. You can just type God’s promises into a search engine and multiple results will follow.
Examples from Online Search Engine:
https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-are-god-s-promises-in-the-bible.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/promises-of-God.html
https://www.openbible.info/topics/gods_promises
As helpful as search engines are, I prefer to go to the source and search out the promises of God myself. I have found in clinging to the promises of God, it is helpful to memorize them so that when the hard times come, they are hidden in my heart and I can remind myself of what God has said about my situation. Nothing in my life catches God by surprise, and He has already provided an answer for me in His Word. I just have to know it in order to be able to lean into the power of His promises.
Read verse 20 for the context of this verse. The “he” is Abraham, the one with whom God made a covenant that He kept in spite of Abraham’s humanity and mistakes. You don’t think Abraham made mistakes? Check out his journey and the two times he pretended Sarah was not his wife. In spite of Abraham’s failings, God kept His promise to him and made a great nation from him.
And in spite of our failings, God will keep His promises to us. I don’t want anyone to think that this is a “name it and claim it” post. I personally don’t believe in that philosophy. What I do believe in is God’s power and trustworthiness. When I need Him to comfort me or give me strength, He is right there, because His Word says He will be. When I am anxious, He speaks peace to me through His Word. How can I depend on a God whom I cannot see? Because He has shown me in His Word and throughout my life that He is with me and will be with me to the end. God is a promise keeper and if I want to be more like Him, I need to keep my promises. That is a commitment I plan to keep…to be careful about what I promise because the God of the Universe is listening in an watching what I will do to keep my word, just as He always keeps His.
God Never Breaks Promises
www.bible.com/reading-plans/15112/day/5
As a child, I was always devastated when one of my parents made a promise and then broke it. It did not matter to me that there were “circumstances beyond their control” or that finances had suddenly become an issue. What mattered to me was the promise. As humans, sometimes we speak too quickly and make promises that we do not or cannot keep. The problem is that we judge God’s promises by our human standards. We have things backwards! God’s promises are our standards because He has shown us how to always keep a promise. As the devotional points out, God established the Abrahamic Covenant and kept that promise a thousand years later when He freed His people from slavery in Egypt and let them to the promised land. His promise to us today is that Jesus is returning and we will go to be with Him. As I age, I am holding on to that promise as well as the others like God being with me always and never forsaking me, about His peace that He gives, about His never-ending love and patience with me. What promise is special to you that God gave you and that you are holding on to? There are so many! God is faithful and will remember and fulfill all of His promises, and that is a truth that we can count on.
When I Am Afraid
God’s Word does not say that we will not ever be afraid. In fact, the word used is “when,” implying that God knows that you will be afraid and has prepared you for that scenario with words of peace and strength and a reminder that He is always close by. I have had some really scary medical things happen in the last few months. Nowadays, I take each day as the gift that it is and thank God for it. But that is not to say that I don’t sometimes feel afraid. When I was in the hospital after my second mini-stroke in six months and under observation because my neurologist thought another major stroke could be imminent, my first thoughts were of fear. But then, I thought of scripture verses that have always comforted me and heard God’s voice say clearly, just as He has told me in the past, “Nothing is going to happen today that God and I cannot handle together.” I am never alone and neither are you. You can put all of your trust in the One who created you and believe that He will carry out His plan in your life, all the way to the end. God’s promises are “yes” and “amen” and His Word is true!
How to Fight Fear
Think back to a time when you were genuinely scared.
As much as we’d prefer to never experience fear, fear is a part of the human experience. But when we are afraid, we have options…
We can panic, stress, get overwhelmed with worry, overthink every worst-case scenario, and attempt to numb out the anxiety-inducing situations around us in unhealthy ways … or, we can echo David’s words:
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
Psalm 56:3 ESVSomething worth noting is that these words were penned after David had been captured by the Philistines. He was being harassed by his enemies and was scared for his life.
But David refused to settle for scared.
He resisted the urge to let fear have the final say. He decided to fight back with Truth…
…And so can we.We never have to fight alone. God has given us something more powerful than ordinary weapons: He’s given us His Word, His Spirit, and His people. Even when we don’t have access to the perfect inspirational sermon or a timely word of encouragement, we can pause and remember the truth: that God fights for us, He’s with us, and He’ll never leave us.
When we shift our minds from our overwhelming fear to God’s overwhelming faithfulness, everything changes. So, today, if you’re scared, anxious, terrified, overwhelmed, or uncertain—speak this out loud:
When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.
Participate and Claim
www.bible.com/reading-plans/13696/day/10
God has promised us eternal life with Him if we but choose Jesus as our Lord and Savior. That sounds so simple and like a really good deal, doesn’t it? But how many have not accepted God’s promise because they don’t want to step out in faith, believing in the salvation that God has promised. If Joshua had not taken God at His word and stepped out in faith, what would have happened to the Israelite nation? Would God have chosen another leader or another nation to favor? Fortunately, we don’t have to deal with that “what if” because Joshua was faithful and believed God. What do we miss out on when we turn away instead of stepping out?
A Path through the Wilderness
Fulfillment of God’s Promises
In the Old Testament, while the nation of Israel was scattered across the land in exile for their disobedience, God was still actively working through the prophets to speak to His people. And in Isaiah 40, God tells Isaiah to comfort the people because God will return to save them.
The people of God were called to prepare themselves for the return of the Lord. It was foretold that there would be a prophet who would lead the way for God in the midst of the wilderness.
This wilderness imagery is important because God had previously led His people out of Egypt through the wilderness. This was the place of God’s great deliverance of Israel and also the place of God’s next great deliverance.
In Matthew 3:3, we find Isaiah 40:3 quoted as John the Baptist is in the wilderness preparing the people of God for the coming of Jesus. John is the voice calling out, asking the people to turn from their ways and prepare for the coming King.
The long-awaited promises of God from Isaiah and the other prophets are fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus.
When we read Isaiah and the Gospels together, we learn how God continues to be faithful to His people. He follows through on His promises. He doesn’t leave His people; instead, He makes a path through the wilderness to bring them new life.
Take some time to think about your own life. Consider during this season of Advent and time of reflection: How has God been faithful to you?
Confidently Cling to God’s Promises
Faith in God’s Promises
Many seasons in life can be scary. You might be asked to step into something new and uncertain. You might walk through a difficult situation or face insurmountable opposition. It is easy to feel discouraged or fearful of seasons like this, especially in the midst of the unknown.
But God’s Word says that faith is needed in every season of life. Faith means putting our trust in God and taking the next step, even if we don’t know what is ahead.
In Deuteronomy 31:6, God encouraged them to be strong and courageous in the midst of facing their greatest fears. And, He even gave them a promise to ease their fears: He would never leave their side.
Often, in seasons of difficulty, all we have left to hold onto is a promise from God. But regardless of how everything changes around us, we can always place our faith in God’s promises.
During this season of Advent, and time of reflection, think about the seasons of your own life. Every situation you face is an opportunity to grow your faith in God and trust in His promises. So, if you’re feeling discouraged or fearful of the future, spend some time in prayer, asking God for courage and peace.
Remember that you are never alone in life. God is always with you. Not only will His presence never leave you, but His love will never be taken away. He will never forsake you. There is nothing that can separate you from the love of God (Romans 8:38).Thank God for His love and presence during this season of reflection. And confidently cling to the promises that He has given you.
Covered
Are you a fan of lots of blankets? Snuggling down into the warm comfort and resting securely? One of my children used to have a “security blanket” that he carried everywhere. Ragged and threadbare from so much laundering, it was barely a blanket, yet still he carried it, holding it up to his nose and wrapping it around his little neck. I don’t recall when he finally gave up “Blankie” but I do remember being sad at the passing of an innocent age when he thought that the blanket he carried and wore would surround him with security.
We can all have that security today if we just accept that God promises it. It’s not a totem we carry around or wear. It’s not a Bible verse that we memorize and cite each time we need God’s presence (although that is certainly helpful). It is just an awareness of how much God loves you and the feeling that He has His arms wrapped around you.
I had a scary incident happen last week. I was sitting in my recliner getting ready to read when the vision in my right eye went all wonky. It was blurry and wavy, and at the same time I got a tremendous sense of vertigo. I called for my husband, but he couldn’t hear me, so I carefully made my way to the bedroom, told him what was happening, and we prayed. I then proceeded to go to bed. I lay there in the dark for quite a while, with the room spinning around me and my vision in that one eye blurry. I fell asleep for a few hours and when I awakened and got up to go to the bathroom, I was still dizzy and my vision was still weirdly unfocused. So, back to bed I went and prayed and praised God as I drifted back to sleep. The next morning, I seemed fine. On Monday, I called my retina eye specialist, whom I had just seen the day before the incident. The triage team called me back, asked me a lot of questions and told me that if it happens again, I should call the on-call doctor and go to the ER. I also let my cardiologist know, in case there was some kind of reaction to my medication. And, finally, I alerted my neurologist in case the whole thing was a brain glitch. The neurologist called me a few days later and said he is concerned about my blood vessels in my brain so he wants me to have an MRA. I had already had an MRI, CT Scan, EEG and EMG, but apparently an MRA looks at only the blood vessels to see if there is something going on that shouldn’t be. The test is all scheduled now and I think the doctor must have put in an urgent request because it’s on June 12th, only a few weeks away. (I waited months for some of the other tests to be done.) Anyway, I wrote all of that so that you know that I know that I am covered. Is it scary each morning when I awaken and I don’t know whether my eyes will be focused and my head will be spinning? I would be lying if I said it isn’t a little tense for me. But I awaken each day as always, praising God that I slept and woke up again and I go through my day with the praise on my lips that God is taking care of me, regardless of what happens. Am I thrilled to undergo another test and have an unknown possibly happening in my brain? No, of course not! But I know that I cannot learn trust by having everything be nice and smooth in my life, so a few bumps are to be expected as I press in closer to God.
God is sheltering me and He has already provided my protection in His Word. I have to stand on it and believe that He is working it all out for His glory. So, I am covered, not with a security blanket that I can hold in my hands but with one that I hold close to my heart.
A Testimony and a Praise
These last few months, I have felt as though I knew what it was like to be the desperate woman who reached out to touch Jesus for her healing. I have been to specialist after specialist and had more medical tests than I knew existed, but the answer to my fainting and dizziness has been elusive. Then on Thursday, I saw a Balance Specialist. If you are blinking and looking again to see if you read that right, I can assure you that there is such a thing although it’s a totally new concept to me, too. My cardiologist had done innumerable tests and suggested I see my ENT to check for an inner ear problem. My regular ENT referred me to a Balance Specialist, a physician’s assistant who is actually a specialized physical therapist. I must admit that I went to the office with a little trepidation, wondering what in the world the new test would be like. This likable thirty-ish young man spent about half an hour with me. First he used some goggle like instrument that made me feel as though I were playing a video game in total darkness. He said that was checking my inner ear and there was no problem there. Then he had me lie down on a table, took my blood pressure, sat me up suddenly and took it again. Voila! An answer! It seems that the med that I am taking for my high blood pressure is a Beta blocker that keeps my heart from speeding up as it needs to do when I change positions. As a result, I get dizzy and if it doesn’t correct quickly enough, I faint. So, I was given instructions to talk to my cardiologist about changing or modifying my medicine. It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But apparently it wasn’t since I have been to five different specialists since February and not one of them picked up on this problem. Anyway, I still have a few more tests to undergo to satisfy my neurologist but I am delighted to have an answer that seems to be something that can be easily addressed. What amazes me is that God knew all along what has been happening and has kept me right in the palm of His hand. I haven’t been frustrated, angry or discouraged as I am accustomed to getting when faced when plans that had to change. God has comforted me and encouraged me that everything will be okay if I am patient.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my “word” for the year is TRUST. I set out at the beginning of the year with the goal in mind that I will learn to lean into the Lord, trusting Him no matter what. God took me at my word and is helping me to fulfill that promise.
I would like to think that the worst is behind me, but even if that is not proven to be true, I know that I can completely trust God’s love for me. My health may not be what I want it to be, but my soul is thriving with God.
This is a quotation from a devotional that I read this week. Hudson Taylor had a lot of challenges in his life, yet he could still write these words and mean them with his whole heart. I plan to copy this and put it on a card on my bathroom mirror, just to remind myself that I am still moving forward and God is still with me, fulfilling His promises to me.
What has God done for you lately? What is your testimony of His greatness in your life? Small things, big things, all things. Give God all the glory!
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 