The Promises of God

 Like many other evangelicals across the globe, I have embarked on a journey to read through the Bible in a year. I am loosely following the M'Cheyne reading plan, which was highly recommended by many of the men that I greatly respect. In the M'Cheyne plan, you read a chapter each day from four different books of the Bible. I realize that four different books at one time can be intimidating to some, but it has been such a blessing to me. One of the four books I am reading through right now is Numbers. I would like to share some of my thoughts on Numbers 10:11-13:

11 Now it happened in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, that the cloud was lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony;12 and the sons of Israel set out on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai. Then the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran.13 So they moved out for the first time according to the command of Yahweh by the hand of Moses. (LSB)
An important thing to note contextually is that a little over two years ago, these Israelites were surrounded by a pagan, polytheistic culture. Under Egyptian captivity, they were constantly exposed to idolatry which was sure to have influenced them.  Moses, the author of the Pentateuch, describes the many instances of Yahweh, the One True God, displaying His glory, His sovereign power, and His faithfulness to His chosen people. So now, as the cloud begins to move from the tabernacle for the first time, Yahweh guides His people towards the land that He has promised them. 
As I pondered this text, I thought through what it would have been like to be one of the Israelites. They had absolutely no idea what they would encounter on this journey. They were not guaranteed an easy path, nor were they told that they would all survive. This would be a very frightening endeavor for any who had not wholly submitted their will to the Lord. They had to trust the promises of God. They had seen Him do marvelous things on their behalf, showing them that His word is true, and that by His providence, He will see to it that what He has promised will come to pass. They knew the Abrahamic covenant, a promise of a land, a people, and a world-wide blessing. Whoever wanted a share in the fruit of this covenant promise had to place their faith in the One True God who delivered them from captivity, trusting in His guidance and protection along the way. 
Things are not so different in the life of the believer today. There are so many uncertainties, so many things that could go wrong in this fallen world. In some way we have all felt the sting of sin. If your life has not yet been touched by the wages of sin, death, you can be sure that in due time it will.  When we rise out of our beds in the morning we don't have a clue what could happen, but we are not to live in fear! We have to trust the promises of God given to us in His word, and in the Lord Christ Jesus. My goal with this blog is by no means to take an Old Testament passage and spiritualize it for my own purposes. My goal is to cause believers to reflect on the promises of God, and in doing so, find strength, joy, and peace beyond all understanding. Lets take a look at a few glorious promises.
Romans 8:1-2"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death."(LSB)   - What an amazing promise this is! For all who are in Christ, through saving faith, there is no condemnation! Jesus bore our sin, nailing it to the cross, and as our substitute, He took the punishment that we deserve so that we can be justified. To add on to that glorious promise; We have not only been freed of condemnation, but we have also been freed from the law of sin and of death. We have been set free from the bondage that sin had on our lives prior to conversion, and we are enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit to walk in righteousness. We are to be at war with sin, constantly pursuing holiness for the glory of God. These verses are a great help when the temptation to sin arises.
Romans 8:28


"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."(LSB)     - This verse is quoted almost as much as John 3:16, and often misunderstood. When we rightly understand what Paul is saying in this verse, it brings amazing comfort through any trial or hardship we experience. Paul is not telling believers that they are going to have a prosperous life if they love God. Instead, the Apostle is saying that even though believers will experience the evils and hardships of this life, our sovereign God is working through these events for our spiritual benefit. John Calvin says this, "Though the elect and the reprobate are indiscriminately exposed to similar evils, there is yet a great difference; for God trains up the faithful by afflictions, and thereby promotes their salvation." When the tides of pain and sorrow rise because we lose our job, or we lose a loved one in a car accident, or we get cancer, God is using that to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ. That is a glorious promise that should fill the believer’s heart with joy! What I take great comfort in is that we do not have to understand how God is working these awful experiences for the good. All we have to do is trust Him when He says that He is! 
Isaiah 41:10"Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.I will make you mighty, surely I will help you;Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’"(LSB) -I want to be sure to note the context of this passage, being directed towards Yahweh's covenant people, Israel; With what we know from the New Testament teaching of the mystery now made clear, that Jews and Gentiles alike are saved by grace through faith in Christ, this passage is completely applicable to believers as well. The believer is no longer enslaved to the dreadful anxiety of this fallen world and the uncertainties thereof. The redeemed do not have to muster up any strength in and of themselves, rather, we are set free from this burden so that we can say as Paul says in his second letter to the church in Corinth, "...Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV). We can take comfort and refuge in our sovereign God, who strengthens us, upholds us, preserves us, and who is in complete control.
James 4:8"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.."(LSB) -It has been vital in my walk with the Lord thus far to abstain from allowing the fluctuations of my emotions towards Jesus to dictate my spiritual health. We have yet to be completely set free from our fallen flesh by our Master. Our love and our zeal for Jesus will experience highs and lows, but He is faithful even when we are not. Jesus loves us perfectly while we love Him imperfectly. That is a solid boulder which we can stand on, but let that never be an excuse to be complacent in our pursuit to know more of God, and to enjoy Him more fully. Charles Spurgeon said in his sermon, The Secret of Power in Prayer, "As believers we are to remain tenaciously clinging to Jesus, livingly knit to Jesus. We are to abide in Him, by always trusting Him, and Him only, with the same simple faith which joined us to Him at the first." We should constantly seek the Lord, crying out to Him in prayer for grace, that He might cause us to bear more fruit for His glory, and to be further conformed to His image. When our love grows cold, we must remember this great promise penned by James, if we draw near to God He will draw near to us.
Ye Fearful Saints:These are just a few small golden truths from the immeasurable treasure trove of God's word. Take hold of these promises, and hide them in your heart. Search through the scripture for the promises of God and believe them with all of your being! Feast on the Word; Taste and see that the Lord is good!