Five Bites of Thanksgiving – Today our salad

“by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, …” (2 Peter 1:4a, ESV)

Promises, promises we all make them and try as we might we fail and for the most part people try to keep them.  Even in addiction people make sincere promises of sobriety.  To understand the power of this simple verse we need to look at how no person can perfectly keep all the promises they make and see how God can keep all of His promises. 

What hinders us from keeping our promises?  Sin.  Our sin and the sin of the world.  A businessman makes bad decisions from greed and a company closes leaving the employees unable to pay their bills and keep the financial promises they have made.  A husband makes a promise in the wedding vows and after time another woman, the forbidden fruit becomes to much, and the vows of fidelity are broken forever.

God’s promises are different.  He is unaffected by sin.  He is perfect and holy.  His nature is loving and kind.  He is faithful and patient.  Oh, and being God He has the power to fulfill all He wills.  So, when God makes a promise, we can be assured that it will come to pass.  In scripture promises are often called covenants and the New Covenant, a new promise established by God the Son, Christ Jesus is sealed in His blood.

So, by the Holy Spirit Peter came to know how precious, priceless, invaluable, and to treasure God’s promises for life.  He understood the magnitude of the promises and how great they were to extend beyond this present life to be fulfilled in the coming age.  He used this to encourage believers who were under persecution for their faith.

Be thankful for the promises of God in your life because they are real and knowing this of God will help you daily in your struggles with sin, fear, doubt, frustration, hopelessness, worry, pride, anger, greed, and all manners of evil that will come upon you.  The promises are your anchor in the storm of life.

Remember the words of Jeremiah when you need to hope that is restored from giving thanks for God’s promises.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11, ESV)

God’s word are eternal and will never fail!  Give thanks.