God is a promise keeper (Romans 4:13)

SCRIPTURE: Romans 4:13 (TM)

That famous promise God gave Abraham - that he and his children would possess the earth - was not given because of something Abraham did or would do. It was based on God's decision to put everything together for him, which Abraham then entered when he believed.

STORY:

Mark Bauer tells this story: God can be trusted. 
Our prayers will not go unheeded. 

It’s like a little girl
who crawled up into her father’s lap 
while was reading the newspaper. 
She told him how much she wanted him to build her a dollhouse. 
She didn’t climb down till her daddy had promised to do just that, 
although he was somewhat distracted and agreed 
mostly because he wanted to be allowed to continue to read his paper. 

He forgot about his promise until he walked into her room one evening
and saw all her dolls and doll furniture were packed to move into the new dollhouse. 
When he asked her about it, 
she simply told him 
that she knew he would be building it 
(even though has hadn’t yet begun!)
because he had promised that he would. 
That was goo enough for her. 

I don’t know of a better definition of faith. 
God has promised to heed our prayers. 
They will not go unanswered.

OBSERVATION:

“But you promised,” is heard more often than most parents want to admit. We make promises without thinking. We make promises just to move the conversation along. We make promises because it is just easier that way. Making promises is a lot easier than keeping them. That is just the way life happens.

On the other hand God is a promise keeper. What he says he will fulfill. We can take it to the bank. He fulfills every single word he gives. He can be trusted. We cannot break God’s promises by leaning on them. It is a part of the foundation of God’s nature. God makes large promises and small promises… and he keeps every one.

Do we trust God to keep his promises because we have learned from our significant people in our life that promises made are not always promises kept? Do we transfer our human reality into a divine truth?

We can and should walk with confidence that God does what he says he will do. God is a promise keeper. We can count it. While people may disappoint us, we will never be disappointed with God.

All we have to do is look around us to see the promises God is keeping. The sun rises in the east. Gravity still works. Birds sing. A baby is born. Hugs are given. Food nourishes. Sleep renews. Water satisfies. Doctors heal. Medicine helps. God promises and their fulfillment come at us faster than we can count. Why? Because God is a promise keeper.

PRAYER:

Thank you God for being a God who can be trusted. Thank you for always being there and keeping your promises … every single one!