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God's Words For US
by Cecelia Lester
A Promise Is A Promise
From time to time when I was in kindergarten, my teacher reminded our class, “A promise is a promise and should be kept.” The motive behind her saying this may have been to help us learn that our words carry weight. She also may have been trying to build our character.
Vows
When a man and woman go before a clergy person and get married, they repeat vows—promises to each other to remain by the other’s side through all kinds of circumstances.
Those circumstances cover the whole gamut of life-“ for better or for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health, ‘til death do us part.”
Contracts
When we purchase a home or an automobile, we probably have to apply for financing. In the process of seeking the needed funds, we sign a contract. That contract is our promise that we will repay the money we borrow.
Moses
In the Old Testament, Moses told Joshua this about God, “He will never leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6) This is God’s promise to each new believer.
Several years ago, I remember heard of a sign in front of a church in our city that said words like this, “Don’t feel as close to the Lord as you once did? Guess who moved.”
Joshua
After Moses passed on, God gave Joshua, his successor, instruction and assurance of his calling. “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5) No matter what happens in our lives, God is right beside us keeping us strong.
Jesus
In the New Testament, Jesus’ promises to His followers are the groundwork of our faith. In John 14, Jesus promised He would return and take them to be with Him. (John 14:3)
Further into John 14, Jesus promises to send “another Counselor” to be with the followers and not leave. (John 14:16) This “counselor” has many titles, the Spirit of Truth, Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, or the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’ promises to us, His children, are many; He is faithful to them. He gives us peace in the midst of storms—physical, spiritual, and emotional. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” (John 14:27)
Our World Today
Today, we live in a world that needs the LORD. We see a world that does not know or even care about Him. Our world has emphasized the attraction of ‘things’ and money. We have a younger generation who traffics in drugs because there are no decent-paying jobs in our area. Stories of despicable acts appear in the newspapers and online, considered, at least to be illegal and are against the Word of God.
Children claim sports stars as their ‘heroes’ when those sports persons seem to be anything but heroic in their ways.
When we turn our hearts and lives over to Jesus, we pledge (promise) to follow Jesus the rest of our lives. Because of our humanity, we are not always faithful in our promise. Thank the LORD that He is.
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Cecelia Lester has been serious about her writing for over two decades..
She composes Christian essays and posts them to her blog quietspirit-followingmyking.blogspot.com/
She has served in a faith-based organization, Grace In Action by writing two newsletters and searching for possible grants.
In July 2017, she published her first book, 'Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy.'
She and her husband of 54 years live in central Indiana. They have one grown son.
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