Promises

Have you ever been promised something?

Have you ever promised something to someone?

At some point in our lives we’ve been promised something and have promised something. Promises can be a bedrock of any relationship. As children we make pinky promises telling our friends our secrets. As adults we moved from pinky promise to asking for the promise of secrecy. When singles get married they make promises to their future spouses to love, honor and obey.

As singles, we rely on God's promise for us to know that he will bring us out of the wilderness and into the promised land. Now as we all now, it's not physical land. He has made promises for each of us, some more different than others that we can look forward to.

When I started lent back in February, instead of giving up something I wanted to dig deeper into my relationship with God. In a way I gave up some time of watching TV, Netflix, etc. to make more time with God, as opposed to giving up the usual coffee and chocolate. I had purchased The Story a few years ago and wanted to try and find a way to work through it.

One day when I was searching online sermons I came across the series from Riverwood Church here in Winnipeg and they were spending each week on a different chapter. So a 31 part sermon series. I decided to read a chapter a day and then watch the sermon that corresponded with the chapter I just read.

The Story takes the bible and puts it into a condensed version and follows the timeline of events. If you've ever tried to read the bible from front to back, it can be hard to get through certain parts (especially when it lists all the decedents). This makes the bible more like a novel and it's quite an interesting read.

Early on in chapter 3 of The Story, it walks through Genesis 37-50. This is the section where Joseph goes from slave to deputy Pharaoh. I'm not going to go too much into detail, however it begins when Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, took his bright colored coat and made his father think Joseph had died, when in fact they had sold him to the Egyptians.

Parts that I took from this chapter and when watching the corresponding sermon was:

1. Life is horrible...BUT GOD is with me and working (Genesis 39:21)

2. The challenge is impossible...BUT GOD will do it (Genesis 41:16)

3. It was intended to destroy me...BUT GOD will use it to elevate me! (Genesis 45:2, 8, & 50:20)

BUT GOD. He's always with us in those situations. He's with us in times of despair. He's with us through times of sadness. He's with us in the happy times. Regardless of the situation, we are called. We are called to make a difference. He calls us to live according to who we are.

There are many times in the bible where they had to wait. When I think of waiting, I think of the Israelites when they wandered the desert for 40 years. When Moses brought them out of Egypt their journey to the promised land (land of milk & honey), their journey was to be only 11 days.

11 days turned into 40 years. What do you have in your life the could have been a quicker trip but because of distractions and complaining took 40 years?

I am going to be 34 this year. As I've gotten older I see how God has worked in my life but I never wanted to acknowledge it. I was too busy complaining and grumbling. When I saw others who were getting everything they wanted, and I was still stuck in the same place.

God has a purpose and a promise for each one of us. He does not want to see us wandering in the desert for 40 years! He wants us to enjoy the promised land. He wants us to be fruitful and live our lives according to Him.

We all have made promises and have all kept promises to others. Know that as you have done for your friends, God will do for you. Know that the promise is coming. Know that He will never leave you regardless how long you have to wander for.

I encourage you today, to make a promise to God that you will not wander. Make a promise that you will study the word and live your life with the purpose of showing God to those around you. God will use you in so many ways that you could never imagine and He will richly bless you.