Promises, Judgment, and Our Hope of Blessing

The life we live, the experiences we go through, and the truth of the word all come into conflict on a regular basis.  Why is it seemingly so difficult to see what the Word promises manifest in the life of the believer?

The Word is clear, "For all the promises of God in Him are 'Yes,' and in Him, 'Amen,' to the glory of God through us." (2 Cor. 1:20 NKJV) Every promise is meant to be manifest in the lives of those who are in Christ.  That is a tall order, and yet it is true.  "So why aren't we seeing the promises of God manifest?" you ask.  The reality is, you are.

• God promises blessing for those who are willingly obedient. (Isa. 1:19) But doing the right thing for the wrong reason brings no reward.  As a matter of fact, those who refuse and rebel are promised discipline. (Isiah 1:20)
  
• Adherents to the Word of God are promised wonderful things. (Deut. 28:1-14) But those who are disobedient, refusing and rebelling against God's Word, brings the promise of stiff penalty. (Deut. 28:15-68)
• God is the "Good Giver" of good and perfect gifts. (James 1:17) But He is also the Righteous Judge who will not hesitate to mete out judgment to those who deserve it. (Rev. 22:12)

The Word is full of promises, more than 3,000 by some counts, and with almost every promise is a condition by which the promise must be appropriated.  From Cain's promise of acceptance "if you do well" (Genesis 4:7) to the promise of judgment to the church at Sardis if they did not repent and watch for His coming (Rev.3:3,) we see that every promise has a God-part and a man-part.  Blessings flow freely from God when we do what He asks of us, and judgment comes as we do what God has outlined as deserving judgment.

As you look at your life, know that it is a reflection of your conformity to the requirements God puts on us.  If you are not seeing the blessings of God manifest to you, it's time to go back to the Word and find out why.  Remember the injunction of 2 Tim. 2:15.

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

The Word holds the answer to your situation, dig in, get into the Word, let the Word get into you, and, I promise, the Word will make a huge difference in your life.

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