Like Caleb: A reminder of God’s Promises

This morning as I completed my morning devotional, I read a passage from Joshua 24 where we find specific references to the inheritance that God had given to each of the tribes of Israel and their descendants as they moved into the Promised Land. I was especially intrigued by the references to Caleb, a prominent individual from the Tribe of Judah. Caleb and Joshua were the only descendants of the original Children of Israel who survived the 40-year sojourn from Egypt into the Promised Land.

Having celebrated my eightieth birthday last year, I especially identify with Caleb who was 85 when claimed his inheritance, despite the fact the land promised to him was still inhabited by the Anakim, so-called “giants in the land.” As I completed the Bible reading with this Verse of the Day from Joshua 21:45, this original psalm came to mind.

Like Caleb

But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him,

and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land

whereinto he went, and his seed shall possess it.

Numbers 14:24

Caleb, son of Jephunneh, of the tribe of Judah:

The impact of this solitary life who can gauge?

May I be like Caleb, who grew in faith with the years

That passed, who with renewed courage transformed his fears

Into faith and lived to slay giants in his old age.

May I rise above any adverse circumstance.

As Caleb claimed for himself his inheritance,

May I too seize God’s promises at this new stage,

To remain fruitful in this season of my life.

And may I wholly follow the ways of the Lord,

Teaching by example the precepts of the Word.

As a servant, may I dispel envy and strife.

Like Caleb, may I look at life as one who sees

Not obstacles but endless possibilities.

The Verse of the Day from the Old Testament also reminded of me this exhortation from Romans 15:4

Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

Psalm 145:13 offers this reminder:

For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.

2 Peter 1:4

And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

2 Corinthians 1:20

For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.

We conclude with this musical reminder from Maverick City Music:  “Promises”:

Very great and precious promises

The Verse of the Day for March 12, 2018 reveals exactly what God, our magnanimous Father, has given to each of us as believers and what we have as a result of his generosity:

2 Peter 1:4 (NIV):

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

No matter how you phrase it, the promises given to us are rare and extraordinary expressions of love: The American Standard Version speaks of “precious and exceeding great promises,” while the Amplified Bible says they are “precious and magnificent promises [of inexpressible value].” According to the Message Bible, these “absolutely terrific promises” are “of great worth and no amount of money can buy them,” says the New Living Version.

One of the distinguishing attributes of God is that He not only makes promises whose value is beyond calculating, but He keeps every promise that He makes. A recent blog entry described God in this way:

Promise Keeper

God Almighty, creator of the heavens and the Earth, is faithful and true, the original “Promise Keeper” who cannot lie. The Word of God declares God has given us exceeding great and precious promises that shall all be fulfilled:

His will is to fulfill every promise He has spoken.
We know no word of the Lord can ever be broken.
Each promise fulfilled is but a foretaste, a token.

The Verse of the Day also brings to mind this passage from 2 Corinthians 1:19-20 (New Living Translation)

19 For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” He is the one whom Silas, Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says.
20 For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.

As believers we recognize that the Word of God is energetic and life-giving, for each word in the Word of Life is an expression of power. Luke 1:37 in the King James Version says, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” The American Standard Version offers this translation: “For no word from God shall be void of power.” Indeed, there is life-changing power in a single word from the Word. Think about the expression used to describe all the promises of God: “Yes!” Used to show agreement or endorsement, “yes” often indicates an affirmative reply. Certainly we are aware of that the word as an interjection or strong expression of joy, pleasure, or approval. When a player scores the winning shot in an overtime game, often excited fans respond with a vigorous “Yes! Way to go!”

In discussing the essence of God’s promises I thought of this poetic response:

“Tomorrow Is Today’s Promise”

For you have need of patience, that,
after you have done the will of God,
you might receive the promise.

Hebrews 10:36

We work in faith, labor in love and wait in hope,
Patient in all our trials that test and refine.
Despite the times, we perceive His divine design
And see with new eyes far beyond our narrow scope.
After doing all God’s will, we receive the promise.
We come through intense fires as a precious gem.
Rewards await those who endure to receive them,
As time swiftly passes with each sunset and sunrise.
Yesterday was the promise of the day before.
Today is yesterday’s tomorrow as it unfolds:
A gift full of potential and all that it holds.
Tomorrow is today’s promise waiting in store.
Past, present and future all merge in Christ, the Lord,
Who upholds all things by the power of His Word.

Matt Redman offers “Yes and Amen,” the perfect expression in song regarding the promises of God.

 

All God’s promises are yes and amen

 

The Verse of the Day for March 12, 2015 is found in 2 Peter 1:4 (NIV):

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

The verse opens with the personal pronoun “these.” In order to understand what “these” is referring to, we need to examine the previous verse to find the “antecedent” or the noun that “these” takes the place of. Here are verses 3-4 of 2 Peter 1 rendered in the New Living Translation.

3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

This passage also brought to mind a statement made by Kristen Mellette of Christian Provision Ministries, who commented that the goodness of God abounds toward us to such a degree that wherever we may step, we are landing on one of God’s promises.

Concerning the promises of God, 1 Corinthians 1:20 tells us:

²⁰ For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

When God makes a promise, He is faithful to fulfill that which He has spoken, for God is the original “Promise Keeper.” We find a reference to “all the promises of God” in the following poem which is an expression of one of God’s desires:

The Fullness of God

To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge;

that you may be filled with all fullness of God

Ephesians 3:19

In wisdom God gives power to loose and to bind,

To enlighten souls and open eyes of the blind.

All the promises of God are “yes and amen.”

God’s Word is true today, just as it was back then

When Christ first spoke the truth to those with ears to hear.

We walk in the spirit of love and have no fear.

We have been empowered by the spirit of might.

To serve the Lord, to please Him is our soul’s delight.

Secure, knowing nothing can snatch us from His hand,

We shall know fulfillment of all that God has planned.

Filled with all the fullness of God that we might see:

The riches of the glory of this mystery.

We walk by faith and not by sight, for we now know,

God sealed us by a covenant, and it is so.

Translated “it is so, so be it, or thus shall it most surely be, or some other variation of this widely spoken affirmation, Amen is commonly used throughout the Old and New Testament. According to Louis Ginzberg, “Amen” has been described as “perhaps the most widely known word in human speech,” as the liturgical response is used not only in Christianity but in Judaism and Islam and other religious practices.

The entire Bible is a matchless collection of exceeding great and precious promises, all of which God is committed to fulfill. Every promise made, God will keep, as He confirms the whole of His word with the last word used in the Bible, “Amen.”

Listen to the Contemporary vocal group, Selah, as they offer a lively medley of Christian songs, including “Standing on the Promises.”

We close out this blog entry with a benediction “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” composed by John Rutter, followed by a seven-fold Amen.