Unremembered Promises

One of my favorite memories of Hope Church is from the pandemic. On a particularly rainy spring day, I pulled into the church parking lot and saw a massive, crisp, double rainbow over the entire property. I was instantly reminded of God’s faithfulness to me, and that He is a keeper of promises. 

We all remember many unknowns from during the pandemic, most of which surrounded the simple question, “Will things ever return to normal?” I fear that some, who were particularly caught up in fear, forgot about the promise of the rainbow, and that our God keeps His promises. While He specifically promised after the flood to never destroy the earth with a flood again, the more important promise is that He is the one who “holds the future.” He is the one who has always been and will remain in control. 

Sometimes, especially in the middle of a really difficult time, it is necessary for us to lean on these promises and remember, “...he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phillippians 1:6) He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is a promise-keeping God. When we forget His promises we are like the disciples, crossing the Sea of Jordan after Jesus had specifically told them, “Let us go across to the other side.” (Mark 4:35b ESV) 

On their journey, with Jesus asleep in the boat, a massive storm crept up; they were shocked and awed by it. Amidst the terrible storm, they forgot He was the one who told them to go to the other side, and that they were exactly where He wanted them to be. They frantically woke Jesus and said, “‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’” (Mark 4:38b-41 ESV) 

In my commitment to doing some spiritual “spring cleaning,” one thing I have found myself going back to time and time again is that our God “holds the future.” He has been and will continue to be a promise-keeping God. Today, I encourage you to take some time to reflect on the ways God has kept His promises to you in the past, and to remember ways that can encourage you in the future. 

Expectantly, 

Shawn