June 9 – A “yes” to every promise

For every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in him; therefore also through him the “Amen” is spoken, to the glory we give to God.  (2 Corinthians 1:20  NET)

“But how do I know it’s the will of God?” I’m asked constantly when I encourage people to believe in a miracle or an answered prayer.  The prevailing idea is that God is extremely picky with who He chooses to bless, and that not all promises are meant for everyone.  He is a mystery that must be solved, a judge who is quick to condemn, or even a bureaucrat who requires so many clauses and conditions to be fulfilled, you can never get what you want from Him.  The reason that we’ve come up with these distorted images of God, is that we have tried to pray in the past, and have known plenty of others who have as well, and received no answer.  We foolishly assumed that God didn’t want to come to our aid, even in desperate and painful times.  For every soul that makes this assumption, the devil celebrates with glee because he has succeeded in creating a barrier between us and God.

God wants us to know that as far as His promises are concerned, it’s a “Yes.”  HIs conditions? Trust. Obedience. Perseverance.  We are to assume His promises are for us to use – all of them!  We are expected to be so audacious that we hold onto them and demand that they come true in a personal and real way.  Whatever conditions He places on His promises (just look through all the ones we have listed so far this past month) we should set our minds to fulfilling.  They are simple and straightforward with no mystery, hidden clauses or red tape.  And equally as important, we are to persevere in believing in them, even when we don’t see our answered prayer on the horizon.  It’s in perseverance, that we prove how much we believe in Him, and it’s in perseverance where most people fizzle out.

Giving up on God’s promises is a false type of humility.  Believing for a while and then losing hope when the answer takes too long for our comfort, is a harsh insult to God’s character.  He is saying in this verse, “Of course, I want to bless you! It’s Yes and Amen, as long as the glory goes to Me.”  

Begin to see God with new eyes, eager to bless you, and knowing that through the process of you trusting and persevering in His promises, you will be strengthened and purified in your faith.  You are meant to be blessed, so go for it.