We wouldn’t have time to go through all of the Scripture on how God is a Promise Keeper -which is how Promise Bible Study started: a vision of seeking out all of the promises of God. We could talk about He kept His promise to Israel - releasing them from slavery and being brought into the Promised Land; the coming Messiah who would triumph over death; the Holy Spirit being our Helper, Comforter, and Intercessor; the new heavens and new earth that is yet to come.
But the verse I want to focus on is 2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
So often we are found waiting on the promises of God: for the salvation of family members, for provision, for healing. We even see Jesus awaiting on God’s promise in the garden (Luke 22:39-46) just before the crucifixion, in agony over what he was about to do. But we soon see that his pain in the garden became power in the tomb; His crucifixion became the defeat of death, and his broken body became the resurrection for the world! God’s word, His promises, were fulfilled in Christ, the risen Messiah.
There is often a delay between the rejection of Friday and the resurrection of Sunday. We too find ourselves in waiting periods, anxious and eager for the promises of God to be fulfilled. So what do we do in these seasons of waiting? We hold fast to what He has spoken and about His character…similar to what we are doing I this study! Learning about His Name, and proclaiming His character.
In the waiting we do what Jesus did in the garden: we approach our Father, we call upon His name, take Him at His word, and participate in His plan to see His promises work themselves out in our lives. We cannot sit on our hands and wait for every promise to be fulfilled. We must participate in His work and His word, living as if His promises are true! Because in reality, everything has been fulfilled already in Jesus: our salvation, provision, and healing is fulfilled in the risen body of Christ! It is just a matter of our resources, bodies, situations, coming into alignment with what He has already spoken. And one of the ways we participate in His promises is by speaking them out and agreeing with them- wholeheartedly.
I’ll leave you with the words of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:24 “He who calls you is faithful, he will surely do it.”
- by Sarah Tubbiola, Missionary with Overland Missions in Zambia
saraht@overlandmissions.com
BONUS CONTENT!
Be prepared to dance! Please enjoy this original worship song, based on Psalm 105, by PBS Creative Director and recording artist Liz Dieleman, worship leader at Mosaic Church in Victoria, BC.