“Rock-Solid Faith” was the title of one of the devotionals I read recently. It was a wonderful follow up to the message in this past Sunday’s sermon. In it the pastor used the story of Noah to make pretty much the same point – faith has to be the undergirding of our belief in God’s promises. And if there’s one thing we know about God and His Son, our Savior Jesus, it’s that they made a lot of promises to the humans they created in their likeness. Our Holy Bible is grounded in them.
This past April, I wrote in my Ideas & Inspiration journal: “Has God ever made a promise He didn’t keep?” Such entries often become the basis for a writing project. And though I’ve not gone beyond the question and a possible title: Promise Giver-Promise Keeper, the question pulls at me, almost demanding that I address it. If you’ve been on this journey to glory for any considerable time, you probably have in your collection of Bibles, commentaries, devotional books and other resources for spiritual growth a small volume titled “God’s Promises” or something similar to that wording. Typically its a compilation of scriptures in which divine promises are spoken regarding life’s varying experiences. It’s a resource we grab when we’re struggling with an unresolved issue; and we want to pinpoint what the Bible says about it, or simply seek guidance based upon the promises for everyday living. Somehow these biblical assurances that God is with us in the midst of our circumstance prove sufficient, even when our plight remains unchanged or our prayers unanswered.
I imagine I could write a book juxtaposing the myriad of promises God made with the realities of those who have leaned upon those promises to identify whether or not any of the promises were unfilled. And I further imagine that I would probably conclude from a human perspective that there are promises God doesn’t keep. But therein lies the caveat. Who am I, who are we to question whether a God- promise has been kept or not? We see from a limited human perspective. God is omniscient and sees and thinks and acts in ways we will never fathom. What seems an unfulfilled promise to us may indeed be the exact opposite in His divine view. I return to Noah, a righteous man living in a time of unrighteousness. God promised Noah that he and his family would be spared the destruction that was to come upon all humankind. Noah had but to follow God’s directions to build an ark and take into it whom God directed. For the next hundred years or so, Noah faithfully followed the Lord’s command. But he was human and I imagine he wondered during those years of construction whether this promise would be kept. But wondering about the fulfillment of the promise didn’t deter Noah. In faith he labored in the belief that if God said it, that’s all there was to it. God would keep His promise.
Now I may still broach the subject as a lead in to a future writing project. More than likely, I’ll be able to draw upon any number of stories that suggest that some of those divine promises don’t come to fruition. But I’ll also be able to recount how the promise remains constant, even when from the human perspective the opposite may seem true. Watch this space.
Love. Joy. Peace.