Category Archives: Promises

Abiding, Bible, Commands, Following, Promises, Return, Scripture

I WILL RETURN

ZECHARIAH 1:3

“Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the LORD of armies says: “Return to Me,” declares the LORD of armies, “that I may return to you,” says the LORD of armies.’” 

Do you remember going back and forth with your friends saying I’ll go if you go? Then they would reply No, I’ll go if you go. Neither of you would commit until the other committed. This may have applied to jumping off a hill into a pond or river. It may have applied to climbing down into a hole. Whatever the situation, your decision depended on your friend’s decision.

Here in Zechariah 1:3 the LORD tells His people that He would return to them IF they would return to Him. His decision was based on their commitment to return. He had watched their past behavior. He knew how wishy-washy they were. He was still committed to them, but they had to return to Him and show their willingness to follow Him.

APPLICATION

Oh wow! Doesn’t this apply to us today? The Lord stands ready to bless us and lead us, but we have to follow. We have to humble ourselves before Him and show Him we are willing to bow. Why don’t we do that? Why don’t we trust what He says? Because we are a stubborn lot. There is a clear promise to claim in today’s verse IF we follow the command that is given first.

Take some time and dissect this verse. How does this apply to your life? Are you submitting to the Lord each day? We have to remember that God is desirous of fellowship with us. He wants to see us grow in our faith. But God will not force Himself on anyone. We must return, just like the Israelites.

This verse also reminded me of Christ’s return. I want to be found ready. Matthew 24:42 says, “‘Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.’” Are you ready? If Jesus returned this moment as you are reading this blog, are you ready? Make sure of that today? Ask Him. He’ll tell you.

Lord, help me reach others with the Gospel of Your Son, Jesus, so they will not be left behind when He returns.

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Bible, Future, God's Will, Heaven, Promises, Scripture

A FINAL WORD

HAGGAI 2:20

“Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,”

You may have heard the joke about the little boy who went to church with his friend for the first time. He had never been to church before, so he didn’t understand a lot of the things that were going on. His friend explained when the song leader raised his hands they had to stand and sing. When they passed the round wooden plates with the felt bottom, they were supposed to put their offerings in it. When the preacher stood up and placed his watch on the pulpit, the little boy excitedly asked his friend what that meant. His friend replied, “Absolutely nothing.”

We know that every action of the Lord has meaning. That’s why we need to look intently at this last section of Haggai. This is the fourth and final word from the Lord. This one occurs on the same day as the last one we found back in verses ten through nineteen. This final word is a word of encouragement. God will reveal His plans to Zerubabbel. He wants him to know what is about to transpire.

APPLICATION

Don’t you wish God would do that for us? Oh, wait! He has done that. We have His Word that reveals to us exactly what is going to happen. Revelation 22:1-5 describes the scene in heaven. “1 And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; 4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illuminate them; and they will reign forever and ever.”

That is our future. That is what we have to look forward to. You need to read the Word to see what is coming. It’s all there. God isn’t trying to hide things from you. He isn’t playing peek-a-boo with you. He may not reveal every detail of your future, but He promises you that He will be with you. He promises you eternal life with His Son. He promises you that you will receive your heavenly rewards.

I am thankful I know what is coming. These earthly days don’t really matter. I know where I am headed. My future is sealed with a promise. It is my prayer that you are going with me. If you are not sure of your salvation, make it sure today. Confirm with the Father your place in heaven. He’s always welcoming new residents.

Praise You, O Lord, for the guarantees You give me. I know You hold me in the palm of Your hand.

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Abiding, Bible, Faithfulness, Promises, Salvation, Scripture

I AM WITH YOU

HAGGAI 1:13

“Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke by the commission of the LORD to the people, saying, ‘“I am with you,” declares the LORD.’”

There is nothing quite like having close friends or allies who you can depend on. I am fortunate to say that I have some whom I call at 3 a.m., and they would come running. They are true friends who have my back. They are not only friends. They are also brothers and sisters in Christ. That common bond links us together not just here but for eternity.

Oh wow! Look at today’s verse. Knowing God was with them must have cheered their hearts. They had felt so alone for so long. Now God was saying to them “I am with you.” Did you catch that phrase? “I am – with you.” Who is with them? I AM is with them. The same I AM who was with Moses when he was told to go to Pharoah and demand the release of His people. That I AM was now declaring He was with them.

APPLICATION

There are so many verses that back up this thought of God being with us. How about Psalm 23:4? “When I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.” Or how about Matthew 28:20. “‘Lo I am with you always, even to the end of the world.’” We could cite dozens of verses that remind us of God’s promise to be with us.

Probably the greatest reminder, however, is Immanuel. God with us. He chose to come in the form a baby to die for us. His whole earthly life was lived for that purpose. He lived so He could die. That doesn’t make sense to us, does it? I mean, who does that? No one, except a loving God. He gave it all for us.

So, if God is with us like He declared through Haggai, why are we depressed? Why are we forlorn? Why are we seeking for other things to bring us joy? God is with us! We should be shouting that from every mountain top. God is with us! Rejoice! God is with us! Praise His name! GOD IS WITH US!!!!

O Lord, my God, You are with me in the darkest hours and You are with me in my greatest joy. I praise Your holy name.

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Appointed, Bible, Promises, Scripture, Service, Shame

APPOINTMENT

ZEPHANIAH 3:19

“‘Behold, I am going to deal at that time with all your oppressors; I will save those who limp and gather the scattered, and I will turn their shame into praise and fame in all the earth.’”

Every election cycle in the U.S., changes occur. New appointments are made by the President. He names Cabinet members, Ambassadors and other staff members. Those appointments carry with them the power of their office. This person may have never served in such a high position. But now they have been recognized and placed in service.

The Lord says in today’s verse that He “will turn their shame into praise and fame.” That can also be translated as He appointed them. He raised them up. He put meaning into their lives. The lame and scattered will be brought together by Him and made famous in all the earth. Wow! What an incredible promise!

APPLICATION

What has the Lord appointed you to do? For what purpose has He lifted you up? A passage just popped into my head. They are some of my memory verses. Galatians 6:9-10 reads, “9 Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let’s do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” Is this why He has saved you?

If you are a believer, God has appointed you. He has called you, not only to receive salvation, but to also use that gift to bless others. You have heard it said that our faith is personal, but it is not private. We are appointed to share it. We have been placed in our positions in Christ for a purpose. We are not saved to just wait on eternity.

So, what are you doing with your appointment? All that shame that weighed you down before has been washed away by the blood of Christ. He wants to use you for kingdom work. What are you waiting on? Ask the Lord what He is up to and then get involved in it. Make your appointment as one of His children count for something.

Lord, I am so thankful for salvation. Now, use me as You see fit.

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Bible, Blessing, Covenant, Justice, Light, Promises, Righteousness, Satan, Scripture

HE DOES NOT FAIL

ZEPHANIAH 3:5

“The LORD is righteous within her; He will do no injustice. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He does not fail. But the criminal knows no shame.”

Time and time again the Lord has shown up for me. I cannot begin to list all of them. I just know that whenever I need Him, He is always there. I am reminded of a passage in Lamentations. 3:22-23 says, “22 The LORD’S acts of mercy indeed do not end, for His compassions do not fail. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

Even in the midst of the failures of the leaders of Jerusalem (which we looked at in the previous verses), Zephaniah says the Lord is righteous there. He will do no injustice. He shines His light to expose their corruption. He does not fail. For those who were suffering under those corrupt leaders, this had to be encouraging. God is still doing that.

APPLICATION

God never fails. You can take that to the bank, as the saying goes. If there was ever a sure bet, that’s it. Let me quick to say, however, that we cannot put God on our timetable. Sometimes it may seem He is not answering our prayers. Sometimes it may feel He has abandoned us. Not so! Those are just lies of the devil.

I love the book of Joshua. It holds such truth for us today. Joshua 1:9 tells us through God’s own words, “‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.’” Don’t you know Joshua was ready to take on the gates of hell with a water pistol after hearing that.

Because I know the Lord is with me and will never fail me, I can face life’s trials with certainty. That does not mean I enjoy the trials, but I know they are for a purpose. When I go through the dark valleys of every day living, God is right there. He will never, ever fail me. That’s worth shouting about. Yoo Hoo!

Your compassions are new every morning, Lord. You will never fail me or forsake me. 

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Bible, Covenant, Promises, Protection, Relationships, Rescue, Scripture, Security, Strength

MY STRENGTH

HABAKKUK 3:19

“The Lord GOD is my strength, and He has made my feet like deer’s feet, and has me walk on my high places. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.”

Here we are at the last verse of Habakkuk. This verse is one of the most quoted in the book. If you missed the beginning of the look at Habakkuk, go back to the beginning of my blogs on this awesome book. They began on November 2. That means we have spent 56 days looking at each verse of this wonderful message to us.

Habakkuk closes his message with praise to God. He confesses publicly that the Lord God is his strength. He does not place his trust in the armies of Israel or on some foreign power. He knows God is the only source of strength. He brings in the image of the deer climbing up effortlessly to the high places. He says God does the same for him. And that applies to us as well.

When we are at our lowest, the Lord picks us up. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” When we rely on Him, He can lift us up to the high places. He does it effortlessly. It is no strain for Him, but for us, it’s agony.

APPLICATION

My little granddaughter asked me the other day to throw her high. Now, she’s approaching five years old. When she was a toddler, this was an easy ask. I could throw her multiple times to her glee. But now…that’s not so easy. It is hard for me to do that more than twice. Aren’t you grateful that God does not tire of lifting us up. No matter how many times we fall, we can turn to Him and say, “Father, lift me,” and He does.

I have had to call on Him several times in my life. There have been moments when I did not think I could carry on. That weakness may have been emotional, physical or spiritual. Each time He came to my aid. Each time He “made my feet like deer’s feet and has me walk on my high places.” He will do the same for you.

I want to climb to the highest heights, Father. Lift me up to be with You.

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Abiding, Bible, Blessing, Christmas, Promises, Prophesy, Scripture

EVEN IF

HABAKKUK 3:17

“Even if the fig tree does not blossom, and there is no fruit on the vines, if the yield of the olive fails, and the fields produce no food, even if the flock disappears from the fold, and there are no cattle in the stalls,”

Having no hope is well…hopeless. When someone reaches that point, they have a hard time believing that anything good could come to them. Perhaps you are in that position right now. Here on Christmas Day, you feel all alone and that no one cares. You may be surrounded by people but still feel that way.

Habakkuk is winding down his message with today’s verse. He will end with two powerful verses (check back the next two days for those blogs). But right here in today’s verse he is numbering the losses. There were no figs, no fruit, no oil, no food, no flocks and no cattle. Seems pretty hopeless to me. But he is setting up his ending. Check back tomorrow.

APPLICATION

The world may be going to “hell in a hand basket,” as the saying goes. But God is still on His throne. Even if marriage has been redefined by a government, God still sanctions marriage between one man and one woman. Even if churches today are sanctioning unbiblical practices, God still has His plan for the church. Even if…

Christ came on an “even if” day. There had been 400 years of silence. God had not spoken to the people since Malachi. The people were hopeless and felt alone. Even if! You see, God had a plan that had to take its time. God brought Jesus into the world on an “even if” day. God brought hope to the hopeless.

I am so glad we can celebrate Christmas today. Even if the world is falling apart, I will worship Him. Even if my health fails again, I will worship Him. Even if all my plans crumble, I will worship Him. How about you? Can you say, “Even if…”?

Joy to the world, the Lord has. Let earth receive her King.

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Abiding, Belief, Bible, Eternity, Loyalty, Promises, Relationships, Scripture

DISAPPEARING ACT

NAHUM 3:17

“Your courtiers are like the migratory locust. Your officials are like a swarm of locusts settling in the stone shelters on a cold day. The sun rises and they flee, and the place where they are is not known.”

Who doesn’t love a good disappearing act?! I can still remember David Copperfield making a Boeing 747 disappear. That plane is probably still wandering somewhere, lol. We all know that the plane didn’t really disappear, but the illusion was breath taking.

Nineveh would soon disappear, just like the locusts as soon as the sun rises. During the cool nights, they piled on top of each other to stay warm. They were a mass of wiggly insects. Nineveh compares the army of Nineveh in that same fashion. They were so numerous they resembled this horde of locusts at night.

APPLICATION

Unlike the strength of Nineveh that disappeared never to return, our Lord will never disappear. He is with us forever. He remains by our side through this life. Then we will reign with Him forever in the eternal. He will never, never disappear.

I worked with a lot of children during my 30+ years in the Child Welfare system. Many of them had disappearing parents. Mom or dad or both deserted them. The damage done to those precious children would break your heart. I am so grateful for parents who were present in my life all the way up to the time of their homegoing. And one day we will be reunited.

I am also grateful that my heavenly Father is always there. I may not always feel that, but that is because I have drifted away. He is still there. Jesus will never disappear on you. He is there, faithful and true, always ready to lend you His hand. Will you take it?

Place your hand in the hand of the Man who stilled the waters. Place your hand in the hand of the Man who calmed the seas.

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Abiding, Allies, Battles, Bible, Confidence, Disappointment, Faithfulness, God's Will, Promises, Scripture

MISPLACED CONFIDENCE 

NAHUM 3:9 

“Ethiopia was her might, Egypt too, without limits. Put and Lubim were among her helpers.” 

Have you ever had someone you were depending on let you down? It is no fun feeling. Your hopes seemed dashed. You get angry at that person and then you get sad. Emotions are always a part of this kind of disappointment. What do you do with those emotions? 

Nahum was reminding Nineveh that no one can depend on any earthly power. He gives the example of No-Amon who depended on Ethiopia and Egypt for her might. Historical records have shown their armies numbered in the millions, like sand on the seashore. But No-Amon still fell. Only God’s power is eternal. 

APPLICATION 

I pray you have not suffered the fate of misplaced dependence. Let me reassure you – people will let you down. I have promised people that I will eventually disappoint them. I am not perfect and have never claimed to be. I know my failures. Do you? 

As believers, we know our only certain source of strength lies in Jesus Christ. Only He can sustain us. Read these words from Psalm 62. “5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Hm. 6 Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress; I will not be shaken. 7 My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. 8 Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” 

Aren’t those great words? I just love that He is my rest, my hope, my rock, my salvation, my fortress, my salvation, the source of my honor, my mighty rock and my refuge. If that doesn’t give you confidence, nothing will. Trust Him today! 

I shall trust in You at all times, my God and my Savior. 

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Abiding, Allegiance, Battles, Belief, Bible, Courage, Defeat, Enemies, God's Will, Opponents, Promises, Rescue, Scripture

LIONS’ DEN

NAHUM 2:11

“Where is the den of the lions and the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion, lioness, and lion’s cub went with nothing to disturb them?”

I love going to the zoo. We have a small one here in Chattanooga, TN where I live. Almost any zoo has “the king of the jungle” – the African lion. These beasts are huge. It is hard to really understand how big they are until you see one in person. A full-grown male lion does not have many threats. They rule the jungle or African plain.

That is the analogy Nahum is using in today’s verse. Nineveh had devoured all its enemies. None seemed able to stand against it. So, that is why it is so appalling that Nineveh is so desolate and defeated. Nahum is asking, “Where is the den of lions”? All their fierceness was gone. They were defeated.

APPLICATION

I want you to know that as a child of the King, your enemies will not stand. They will all bow before Him. They may appear to be triumphant right now, but their day will come. You may not see it in your lifetime, but it will come. No enemy of our King will remain.

How do I know that? Because His Word says it. Romans 14:11 says, “For it is written: ‘AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, TO ME EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, AND EVERY TONGUE WILL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.’” If God’s Word says it, that settles it. It will be just as He has said. Do you believe that?

I know I can trust Him when He says something. I believe all my enemies will bow, just as I will. I will bow willingly. They will bow because they know they are defeated. Oh, how sweet to know in Whom I can trust.

I praise You, O God, for Your faithfulness to all generations.

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