“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:23
“Promises, promises that’s all I ever get”, these are words from an old Lynn Anderson song in which she confronts a boyfriend that’s more talk than action. His word is useless and leaves little to be trusted.
We may feel this way too when companies vie for our attention by making promises about their products. We are told about toothpaste that whitens our teeth better, detergent that cleans our laundry the best, vehicles that are the most economical to run and phone service that has the best coverage. Promises are easy to make, but we all know that these promises are only good until the next big thing comes along and then we have new and improved promises. It is easy (and probably wise) not to put much hope in some of these claims.
People can let us down too. Just like the man in Anderson’s song that promises love and marriage, but never comes through, so it is with our fellowman. A boss promises a raise or promotion which never materializes. A friend gossips about something shared in confidence. Marriage vows are forgotten and ignored.
There are times when circumstances change and even the best intentions have to be set aside. So whether we mean to or not, promises get broken and hopes are lost.
But what about the promises that God makes to us? He promises us salvation and He sent Jesus to die for our sins. (John 3:16) He promises to love us forever (Jeremiah 31:3b), and He promises us a home in heaven and Jesus went to prepare it (John 14:2-3). He promises to draw close to us when we draw close to Him (James 4:8), and He promises never to leave us (Hebrews 13:5).
These and many other promises can be found in the Bible. God’s promises are unchangeable and trustworthy. We do not have to be concerned that He will change His mind or that He will not keep His word. His promises are real and we can believe them for “He who promised is faithful”.
What a joyful reminder of our God’s love!