Promises Kept

Psalm 145

  

When my granddaughter was about 3 years old, she took a swimming class. The highlight of the class was at the end when the water slide was opened up. One Saturday, my daughter asked me to come to the class and go into the water with my granddaughter. I was more than happy to oblige.

 

During the class, my granddaughter told me several times how much fun the water slide was, but she made me promise that I absolutely wouldn’t let her head go under water at the bottom of the slide. I vowed that I would never let that happen.

 

As we began our descent from the top of the slide, I had both arms wrapped tightly around her. But as we continued our downward spiral, I began to lose my grip. The slide was tossing me from side to side. Instinctively, I let go with one hand and then the

Although we are both there, all you can see are my feet.

other to regain my balance. Suddenly, without warning, we were at the bottom and into the water with both of our heads going under.

 

When we got out, my granddaughter looked very, very distressed. When asked if she wanted to go down the slide again, her response was a very clipped, “No. I want to go home. I want my Daddy.” Grandpa had failed to keep his promise.

 

Promises, and how we respond to them, reveal our character. Ultimately, it reveals who we are by how we treat others. David wrote in Psalm 145 about the character of God. God’s character can be seen by how He works in our lives. In fact, seven times in this Psalm David mentions “your works”.

 

For me, it is easier to see God’s works with twenty-twenty hind sight than it is during the daily grind of life. Afterwards, I can look back and see how He brought certain people or experiences or even books or a movie into my life to shape my thinking. God has been constantly at work in my life because He loves me.

 

My granddaughter didn’t think much of my character on that Saturday morning in question. All she knew was that her grandpa had not kept his promise, whether it was intended or not.

 

We never have to worry about that with our Lord. He always keeps His promises. He shows His love to us by His faithfulness, and as His followers, we are to show His love to others by our faithfulness. Therefore, let us love one another with Christ’s love through promises kept.

 

 

The Promise

Genesis 24:1-9

 

 

There comes a time in every person’s life when they look back to see what they have accomplished; how they got to where they are today; how they will be remembered.

 

This past week I turned 65, so these are the thoughts that came to my mind. Ultimately, it has to do with how has God worked in my life, and how has He used me in the lives of others. In the final analysis, all that matters is what is eternal.

 

In the passage today, it states that “Abraham was now very old”. He had just buried his wife who had born their only child Isaac. He was living in a land that belonged to others. In fact, he had to buy a field with a cave in order to bury his wife. He was a foreigner; an alien in the land. He was alone with his son and his faithful long time servant.

 

So it was natural for Abraham to look back on his life and remember the promise that the Lord had made to him. When Abraham was a young man God had called him to a life of faith with these words from Genesis 12:

 

“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s

household to the land I will show you. ² “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

 

Abraham believed in God’s promise and faithfulness. He wanted to make sure that the Lord’s promise continued through his son Isaac. So Isaac was very much a continuance of that promise from God to Abraham... as are we.

 

Therefore, as I look back on 65 years of living, I can see how God has been faithful; how He has always been at work in my life; how He has always been with me; how He has always loved and forgiven me. He has kept His promise.

 

I hope and pray that you can see God at work in your life as well, and that His promise and faithfulness are evident to you.