PROMISES, PROMISES

"I promise"...those words are spoken over and over again by so many of us.  We make promises we know we can't keep or decide we wont' keep.  Promises are empty and meaningless without action to back them up.  Promises are just words spoken in a moment of time hoping that the person we promised won't remember.  Marriage vows are promises yet so many don't keep them.  Every New Year brings promises of resolutions we don't keep for long. "Promises are meant to be broken" is a lie.  Promises are meant to be kept.

As I sit and think about my life I realize that my life has been filled with other people's promises.  Some were kept, most were not.  The thing I've learned is that we need to be careful what we promise ourselves or others.  Unfortunately we've become so cynical that don't believe it when someone makes us a promise.  We have had so many unfulfilled promises that we doubt an honest promise when we hear one.   "Sure....I'll believe it when I see it" attitude has become our defense mechanism.  We'd rather not believe anyone's promises than risk being hurt.  

We are human beings.  We don't mean to disappoint people, we don't mean to forget about the promises we've made, we don't mean to ignore those promises.  Sometimes we just get so darn busy and our mind becomes so overwhelmed that those promises are the last thing we think about.  Sometimes it's not until someone has pointed out our failures that we realize we forgot about our promises.  Thank God that God does not forget about HIs promises.  His promises are eternal and never fading and never ending.  His promises are always Yes and Amen!!  .     .   .  

2 Peter 3:9  The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness.  Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

God promises us the gift of eternity in heaven if we but repent and believe in Jesus Christ.  There is not some list of chores to complete, no agenda to tackle, no boxes to check off.  Believe, repent and receive God's promises.  Simple!  Yet so many of us are living lives missing out on His promises.  Our pride and selfishness keep us from claiming these promises and embracing them.  Our sinful self wants to deny that these promises are true, it's so much easier to deny them than it is to receive them.  

Today I ask you to take a leap of faith and claim the promises of God.  They're waiting for you to receive them.  He's waiting to tackle you with so many blessings and promises that you're blown away.  His promises are eternal and they are for you and for me.  Believe, repent and get ready to receive.