Promises and Prayers

Hebrews 6-Part 5
And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.    Hebrews 6:15

LET IT GLOW

I give thanks unto the Lord today for His mercy endureth forever. My husband has been in the hospital for three days as they monitor a new heart medicine to regulate the rythmn of his heart. I'm picking him up at noon today to bring him home. Prayers are answered.
Another answered prayer-our church broke ground for a new sanctuary last Sunday, after 14 years of prayer. It is a beautiful sight to see the red dirt on the site. Prayers are answered.
I can't say we have patiently endured the wait, though. There were times my husband, the pastor, and I wanted to quit, leave, give up, run away. But God is faithful. It is Him we serve. He is the author and finisher of our faith. Even amidst the trials and heartaches, God sustained us  to keep on keepin' on. Our faith often became as small as a grain of mustard seed. (They are still in my kitchen window sill as a reminder daily.) But is growing!!!!!!!!!
Yes, friends, when God makes a promise, He keeps it. We are trusting Him to fill the sanctuary with people who praise and worship Him, hunger for the Word, and thirst for His Spirit. I pray that every Sunday a lost sinner will find salvation in Jesus there.

Looking at verse 14, it comes from the Genesis 22:17-18, which is originally from Genesis 12:1-3, where God promises Abram:

• He will make Abram a great nation,
• He will bless Abram, and make Abram's name great,
• He will bless those who blessed Abram and curse those who cursed Abram,
• in Abram all families will be blessed.

Abram had to wait 25 years for his son of promise, Isaac, to be born. But it did happen. God kept His promise to Abram. Although Abraham didn't see the promised Messiah, Christ Jesus, his family line was a part of the promise. Christ is a descendent of Abraham. In spite of Abraham's failures and sins, God kept His promise. We know that Abraham's descendants are as numerous as the stars and sand.

"Many of God's promises do not depend on our character but on His faithfulness," said Wiersbe in his book,
Be Confident.

Another point for us to notice is that God confirmed that promise with an oath. None is greater than God, so He swore by Himself. A witness in court takes an oath using "so help me God" to confirm what he says is truth. (verse 16)  Verse 17 shows us His conformation. The two immutable, unchangeable things, in verse 18 are the promises and oath of God. He cannot lie, so He keeps them. (verse 18) God's promises are unchanging.

Oath in the Hebrew, is the word hebv. It is the root word (ebv) which signifies to "fill, satiate, satisfy." A debate or controversary in OT times was satisfied with 7 witnesses used in Genesis 21:28-30. (John Gill)

The end and design of an oath is to make the promise sure, and to encourage those to whom it's made to wait with patience till the time for performance comes. (Matthew Henry)

Not only did God give His promise and oath to Abraham, but He as given them to "the heirs of promise," which is us, since we are Abraham's seed by faith. Is that good news?

God's covenant to Abraham is irreversible. It is as immutable, unchanging, as God Himself. We have a strong consolation. Not only did Abraham, but you and I, also who are saved by Jesus. That makes me secure in my salvation!

Am I standing on the promises of God?


LET IT GROW

We have fled to the city of refuge (verse 18). NLT says, Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.

Back in Numbers 35, God appointed 6 cities, 3 on each side of the Jordan River, into which a man could flee if he had accidentially killed someone. He lived there while the situation was under investigation. Then, if it was manslaughter and not murder, the man lived in the city until the death of the high priest. He could return home after that happened. The victim's family couldn't take revenge. (Wiersbe)

David Guzik said, "No one needs to fear that they would be turned away from their place of refuge in their time of need."

Jesus is our city of refuge, our eternal refuge. He is always there in my time of need. As my High Priest, Jesus will never die and we have eternal salvation through Him. No avenger can touch us, because Jesus has already died and arisen from the dead. Wow!

Do I have persevering faith? How do I endure afflictions? Do I hold God's promises to be true? Do I apply them to my life? Is Jesus the hope set before me, my eternal hope? Yes indeed! How about you?


LET IT GO

Trust God's promises to be true because He cannot lie.

Go to my refuge, Jesus, in my time of need.

Hold onto the hope of eternal life.

Keep praying for others.