Thursday 27 May 2010

Promises backed by God's name

"I will give thanks to your Name for your unfailing love and faithfulness, because your promises are backed by all the honour of your name". Ps 138:2b

Have you ever thought of God's promises being backed up by His Name? God reveals Himself to us by His names which are His divine nature and character. How apt that God should introduce Himself in the opening line of the Bible as Elohim (in the plural form) in Genesis (which means birth or history of origin). God introduces Himself as our Creator who has given "birth" to all things through such mighty power. God is not haphazard or random, and created everything by design for His plan and purpose and for His delight as well as ours, and declared everything He created as "good". He created the plants before He created the animals and humans, showing that He cares about our physical needs (food) as well as our aesthetic appeal, and so prepares the way before us. Unsure of your future, God has a promise, as One who prepares the way for us, who creates the opportunities, who opens and closes doors for us.

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you a hope in your final outcome." Jer 29:11

"Do you not know, have you not heard? The LORD is the ever lasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow weary and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strenght to the weary and increases the power of the weak." Is 40 28-29

When He created all things that He declared "good" in preparation for our "birth" on earth, we could look upon His beauty and His love in His Handiwork, how can we not trust that He goes before us now?

Lost your way, fearful, or have too many needs? Not only does God have a plan for each of us, but He also introduced Himself to us as our Jehovah Rohi, The Lord our Shepherd. He will shepherd us through the valleys and take us to the high places, where the track may be a little harder but where the grass is the greenest and the intimacy is the sweetest. This is what shepherds used to do when there was overgrazing in the valley, take the sheep up to the mountain where the grass was in abundance. This is what our Shepherd wants to do if we will just follow Him. The path is harder and our flesh screams as we are being moulded to be like our Shepherd, but our obedience brings His blessing upon our lives and the communion becomes sweeter and sweeter.

"Therefore I tell you, stop being perpectually uneasy (anxious and worried), about your life, what you should eat and what you should drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] then clothing. Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more then they?" Matt 6:25-26

"Do not fear, for I am with you;., do not be dismayed for I am your God." I will strengthen you and I will help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Is 41:10

Do you desire to be holy but are struggling with temptation? What about Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord our Righteousness and Jehovah Maccaddeshem, the Lord our Sanctifier. Isn't He able to keep us from stumbling when we trust in His Righteousness and The Seed and the Power that is within us to help us when we humble ourselves and ask for and require His help.

"by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." 2 Pet 1:4

"Therefore having these promises beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2 Cor 7:1

It has been said that a promise is only as good as the person who makes it. Well we can trust the One who has written the book and ensured that it has remained throughout the centuries so that we can take a hold of the promises within its precious pages, knowing that God cannot lie.

"But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was establised on better promises." Heb 8:6

"Let us remember that all the promises of God are in Him Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us." 2 Cor 1:20