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Last week I heard several sermons and messages about trusting God’s promises. And in today’s society at first listen, this sounds much like another spiritual cliché. Unfortunately the reason is because the word promise has been abused. Many people have made promises to us and subsequently broken them. That process has left us at times scarred and feeling alone without the ability to trust. Their lack of integrity has negatively affected us and most likely others. But the God of Heaven makes promises that he cannot and will not break. By nature he is not a promise breaker.

But don’t take my word; look at the evidence in Scripture:

In you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. Psalm 25:2

No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. Psalm 25:3

Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. Psalm 25:20

In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Psalm 31:1

Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I call upon You; Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol. Psalm 31:17

The Psalms provide excellent proof of God’s promise-keeping nature. And the main author, David, exemplifies a life of trusting God. In 1 Samuel 16 the story of David begins. It is of a youth that has the favor and anointing of God on his life so strongly that when challenged by giants in life (figuratively and literally) he takes the challenge head-on because he trusts in his God (see 1 Samuel 17:34-51). We all know the story; he slays the giant and is immediately thrust into the limelight which causes the Israelite king, Saul, to become jealous of David’s newfound glory. As time goes by, Saul develops a jealousy of David that drives David into isolation into the wilderness and caves (see 1 Samuel 21). He becomes a marked man wanted by Saul so that he can be killed. But I think that it is in this time, when David wrote the passages above.

In you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies [Saul] triumph over me.

Can you see David saying that? He is sincerely trusting in God’s promise to protect him from his mortal enemy, Saul. It is important to note that no matter the amount of attempts on his life by his enemies, he remained a man of integrity. This is important to note because we often expect from others what we ourselves won’t do. David did not do as we sometimes do, in that we expect God to care for us and protect us but live a life full of duplicity. David’s story is proof that maintaining wholeness in our character is the key to God’s hand of deliverance in our lives. His promise is that he will never leave us or forsake us. But when we walk away from his will for our lives we also walk away from his protection and his promise for us. I’m sure David had plenty of reason to fear for his life as he ran from the king that sought his life. There were probably many nights he slept in caves hiding from Saul. But I believe the lesson for us is that no matter the difficulty of circumstances in your life, you can rely on the promise of God. I know where I can go from there—to a life of trusting in God.

"Bible verse and quote" from Jan Couns

Bible and Quote - February 18-22