Daily Devotional, Sept 23, 2023 The premise of a promise

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God." 2 Corinthians 1:20

Most of us Christians have a favorite bible verse. The passage that we hold on to, came to memorize, and recite especially during times when we need God the most. These are God’s promises to His people as quoted in the bible, and from which we draw comfort especially during trying times.

There are instances though when no matter how much we hold on and claim the promises of our favorite verse, our dire situation seems unchanging. When this happens, some people end up broken, frustrated, depressed, and even angry at God. Much like what happens to the seed (word of God) that falls on rocky ground “Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away (Luke 8:13)”

I remember, one of my good (and godly) friends often reminds our prayer group that all of God’s promises come with a premise. That before claiming one of the Lord’s promises, we should try to know its context and then find out the premise of that promise.

For instance, how many of us hold on to the promise that “God will provide”? But not all who claim this passage may know that this verse was talked about in the bible in the context of Abraham surrendering and offering to the Lord his beloved son as a sacrifice. That the Lord provided only at the last minute when He has confirmed that Abraham can give up his prized possession to obey God’s commands. Indeed, God provided for him because of his love, obedience, and trust in the Lord. Can we say the same and surrender the “Isaac” of our life to follow the Lord?

Another popular verse held onto by believers is one of David’s prayers, Psalm 23. Most even memorize the fourth verse by heart, and recite it during dire situations: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me (Psalm 23:4).” But did we ever stop to think about the premise of this promise? We will fear no evil IF the Lord is the SHEPHERD of our life, and we allow him to lead and protect us from the evil one. Is the Lord really our shepherd, or are we led by our own desires, selfish ambitions, and pursuit of wealth? If we have not accepted and designated the Lord as the shepherd and leader of our lives, how could we claim his protection and guidance in our darkest valleys?

There are a lot more promises and verses we hold on to, of which we may not know the context. Like Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,” which was promised to Joshua to strengthen his heart and mind about leading the Israelites to Egypt — which is basically requiring him to trust and obey the Lord amid obstacles and seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

So how do we find out the premise of the promise? Simple. Read the bible. Read that particular chapter or book. Dedicate time to know God’s word more and more.

We should take heart that the Lord’s promises are always true, but we have to do our part “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 1:20).  Our hearts should be like the good soil that becomes fruitful as we grow in the knowledge of God and His promises “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop” (Luke 8:15).

Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Luke 8:11-15 to dig deeper on today’s topic. As an extra homework, you may want to read Matthew 6:25-34 and try to identify the premise and the promise in those verses.

Reflection Question: Do you know the premise and the context of your favorite bible verse?

Conversation with the Lord: Almighty God, thank you for encouraging me to know you more by finding out the context of the promises you have for us. Please enlighten me and guide me, as I try my best to get to know you more, and follow you. Amen.