“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”
2 Corinthians 1:20 (NKJV)
2 Corinthians 1:20 (NKJV)
God’s promises are a sure thing. Because you’re in Christ, you don’t have to earn or deserve any of the promises – they’re your by grace (undeserved, unmerited favour). All you need to do is believe and receive! Your circumstances are subject to change but God doesn’t change and neither does His Word. If you want to see the promises of God come to pass in your life then don’t give up. Keep speaking out boldly what God has promised. Don’t let the enemy, any circumstance, or anyone convince you of anything other than what God has said. Let His Word be true in your life and everything else a lie (Romans 3:4).
The pretty little shepherd boy, David, had just come to the battlefield to bring some food supplies to his big brothers and their fellow soldiers. When he arrived on the scene it seems like he was disgusted that the “armies of the living God” were hiding in their tents with fear, while the “uncircumcised Philistine”, who had no covenant with God, was intimidating and paralyzing them with fear. David walked around boldly declaring his confidence (or faith) in God, reminding everyone that they had a covenant with God and therefore this “uncircumcised Philistine” was really already defeated! News of David’s boldness got to the King, who summoned David and tried to get him to back down by speaking fear to him. But David would not be convinced otherwise.
“38 So Saul clothed David with his armour, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail.”
1 Samuel 17:38 (NKJV)
Eventually, King Saul gave up trying to convince David. Maybe he was even given some hope through David’s boldness because he gave David the go-ahead to go and do battle against the giant on behalf of Israel. (If David lost this battle Israel would have become slaves to the Philistine! Saul was surely inspired by David’s confidence in God.)
After failing to instil fear in David and to get him to back down, Saul then tried to tell David how to fight the giant. David didn’t have any armour, and so Saul gave him his. It didn’t fit and had David tried to use it, he would have been trusting in the King’s armour and not in God. Often, if the enemy cannot persuade us to stop believing God, he will try and get us to obtain victory by relying on the flesh (the armour) and not on God.
King Saul’s armour wasn’t doing him any good – he wasn’t going out to fight the giant – and yet he tried to convince David to use it. David’s strength wasn’t in armour but in his faith in God. All the weapons and armour of the Israelites weren’t doing any good in the battle against the Philistines. But along comes a little boy with none of the armour that was essential for battle – only a sling shot and five stones but a whole lot of confidence in God – and he defeats the giant and secures victory for the whole country.
People will try and convince you not to believe God. If you want to reign in life and enjoy the promises of God, then you need to ignore the doubters, keep believing God and speak out His promises boldly. These same people who tried to speak fear and unbelief into your heart to get you to quit, will oftentimes eventually start telling you how to believe God and how to receive His promises, when they see that they cannot get you to back down. Just remember that a double-minded person is unstable in all their ways (James 1:8). If their wisdom isn’t working for them, don’t lean on them, because it won’t do you any good. Keep focused on God and keep your confidence in His Word.
Thought to focus on for the day:
“Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). Confidence and trust (faith) in God and His Word is what will bring the promises of God to pass in your life. Don’t rely on the wisdom of others (especially if it isn’t working for them) – keep focused on God and His Word. He is faithful and His Word is trustworthy (Isaiah 55:11).