As a child, I eagerly looked forward to the promise of the shopping trip to spend part of my allowance for completing my household chores. I recently realized that my mother instilled the character traits of humility, obedience, faithful anticipation, and work ethic required to serve God. Those who do not believe it is necessary to perform a faithful duty to God every day to receive His blessings consider your employer’s expectation of you achieving productivity every day to receive monetary compensation and merit raises.
Promise [definition]: 1. A declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen. 2. To assure someone that one will definitely do, give, or arrange something; undertake or declare that something will happen.
A promise involves two or more individuals: The giver and the recipient(s). The fulfillment of the promise requires integrity and commitment from the giver to ensure that a particular thing will happen.
From experience, many have endured the heartache of broken promises. We must establish that circumstances beyond the giver’s control cause the contractual agreement to become null and void. Insolvency of a company causing massive lay-offs is deemed necessary to sustain further business operations, or due to compromised health or death, the giver is unable to fulfill their promise.
The reality is that many promises have the potential to never come to fruition. The giver made the promise without intention to fulfill the promise. It is not difficult to find a person who has not suffered the brokenness of their fragile hearts from unfulfilled promises, mostly from deceit. “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people.” (Psalm 118:8 NLT).
Only God never fails in His promises. “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Even so, His promises to humanity are conditional and always involve “If and then.” Yes, the human effort of obedience, faith, and patience are the conditions required to receive God’s blessings.
- “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.” (Deuteronomy 28:1 ESV).
- “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14).
- “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:14 ESV).
Our belief in God’s promises should dictate our lifestyle choices. When we memorize the scriptures that promise the blessings of eternal life, we do not allow the compromise of breaking our promise to love and serve God with all of our heart, soul, and mind.
- In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:2-3).
- For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
- After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands… (Revelation 7:9 ESV).
God’s promises are “Yes and Amen.” “God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19 ESV).
The question of “Do I really desire eternal life in the New Heaven and New Earth?” is reflected through the choice of faithful obedience. We cannot tell ourselves that we are doing enough for God. Attending church service once a week is not enough. Many hear the Word and study the Scriptures but do not put God first. Most importantly, we have been given a spiritual duty that is a requirement for eternal life–
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV).
Eternal life is based on “if you” and the choice is up to you.
Prayer: God, not my will, but your will be done in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions 