STANDING ON THE PROMISES

 

There is an old hymn that came to my mind today. The refrain goes like this:

                    Standing, standing,

                    standing on the promises of Christ my Savior;

                    standing, standing,

                    I'm standing on the promises of God.*

Sometimes I hear people say, “God always keeps His promises.” As a matter of fact, I have written those very words in one of my blog posts.  The question always comes to my mind, “What promises?”  If I don’t know the promises of God, how can I “stand” on them? One question has led to another and taken me beyond the promise in John 3:16. I want to know more about God's promises and reading the Bible has often become a treasure hunt.

For me, “standing on the promises” is not a demand I place on God because of my right as His child or as a citizen of His kingdom. It’s not a matter of “getting” something from God. “Standing” reminds me of what God has already done for me through Jesus Christ.  His promises help me know Him more intimately.

Here is the first promise I remember taking to heart a very long time ago: “I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly" (John 14:1-6).  The fact that my family moved a lot when I was a child probably had a significant bearing on the verse being imprinted in my memory! Here is a verse that I discovered a few months ago that bolsters me when my physical and spiritual energies get low: “He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day when the Lord Jesus Christ returns” (1 Corinthians 1:8).

Would you be willing to share a promise of God with me and the readers of this blog, one that has brought you comfort or peace or has built up your faith?

*Text: R. Kelso Carter, 1849-1926 
Music: R. Kelso Carter, 1849-1926