I immigrated to the USA from Costa Rica at the age of 15. Growing up, I was oblivious to such a thing as promises from God. Having never heard of them, I just stumbled upon a promise book in a Christian bookstore.
I remember that day as if it was yesterday. I was looking around for books to read and there they were, put there for me to find, God’s promises! I could not contain myself! I could not keep them to myself either.
My first thought was “If I didn’t know these promises existed, how many other people don’t know they exist?” I knew for sure that I had found hope.
The next day I went back to the bookstore and ordered boxes upon boxes of God’s promises and gave them to the people in my church, people on the streets, people everywhere. It became my mission to share these promises with every person I came in contact with.
Taking God's Promises Everywhere I go
These promises have helped me in ways that words cannot express. I hold on to them as if they are my life. I take God’s promises everywhere I go. I am in constant search for them and sharing them with others as I find them. The more His promises are revealed to me, the more my faith grows. According to biblical scholars, there are over 3,000 of them in the Bible. Scripture tells us that: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (2 Peter 1:3–4 ESV). He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises. Why? So that by them we may become partakers of His Divine nature.
Can you understand that? Can you fathom it? Can you believe this promise? Isn’t it awesome?
Scripture also tells us that there is a season for everything and everything happens for a purpose: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 ASV). Finding those promises was my time and my season to receive this precious gift from God. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17 ESV).
Did God know I was going to buy boxes upon boxes of these books and share them with others when I found them? Yes! He knew I was going to do exactly that. He is God and there is none like Him. “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure…yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” (Isaiah 46:9–11). That’s a prophetic promise for the future, a promise of things to be fulfilled. He is God and His word will not return to Him void. The Lord will bring to pass what He promised!
When a young lady from my church was terminally ill and would not make it through the weekend, I felt compelled to visit her even though she was four hours away. A few of us from the church went, and when we got there, she took time on her deathbed to remind me about the books of promises I used to give away and the impact that they had had on her life. In fact, she had made it her own ministry to buy books of God’s promises and give them away as well. Nothing happens by accident; nothing happens by chance.
“There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand” (Proverbs 19:21).
Call to Action
The highest authority, God’s own word, guarantees all His promises. Now is the time for you to take hold of God’s promises for yourself. Find them, claim them and share them! Then YOU will proclaim:
“O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You; I will praise Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness” (Isaiah 25:1 NASB®).
Unless noted otherwise, all scripture taken from the King James Version
