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God's Promise Is Sure
13No one is greater than God. So he made a promise in his own name when he said to Abraham, 14 “I, the Lord, will bless you with many descendants!” 15Then after Abraham had been very patient, he was given what God had promised. 16When anyone wants to settle an argument, they make a vow by using the name of someone or something greater than themselves. 17So when God wanted to prove for certain his promise to his people could not be broken, he made a vow. 18God cannot tell lies! And so his promises and vows are two things that can never be changed.
We have run to God for safety. Now his promises should greatly encourage us to take hold of the hope that is right in front of us. 19 This hope is like a firm and steady anchor for our souls. In fact, hope reaches behind the curtain and into the most holy place. 20 Jesus has gone there ahead of us, and he is our high priest forever, just like Melchizedek.
Reflect
Life can be brutally hard; faith in a good God doesn’t shield us from disease, betrayal, financial difficulty, bereavement or any sources of pain that all humanity is exposed to. But we have tenacious hope founded in a promise: one day we will live face to face with God, and he will wipe away every last tear (Revelation 21:4). This is the fulfilment of a promise made long ago to a man named Abraham.
As we learn patience, there is no one better to inspire us than Abraham. God promised Abraham and his wife Sarah descendants (Genesis 12:1-3), through whom the whole world would be blessed. It was 25 years before Isaac was born, by which time conception was humanly impossible due to their extreme old age. Isaac was the father of Jacob, from whose sons came the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus came from the tribe of Judah, and through him we all are welcomed into God’s kingdom.
Today might be one of those days you wonder if your boat is going to be battered beyond repair by the raging storm and the towering waves. Hear this: in the very throne room of heaven you have a comforter, an advocate, who knows what it is to suffer. He is your place of safety. He is your anchor. Take heart and hold onto hope.
Respond
Lord God, I sometimes find it hard to hold on to hope. I find it hard to believe my pain will ever be soothed. Thank you for your Son who knows what this feels like and who is always on my side. Help me run to you for safety. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.
Jo Swinney
Jo Swinney is a UK based author, speaker and editor, with an MA in theology from Regent College, Vancouver. Her latest book, Home: the quest to belong (Hodder & Stoughton) is part memoir and part retelling of the life of David and explores what it means to be rooted in an ever more transient world. Jo is Director of Church Communications at www.cpo.org.uk and editor of the lyfe journal.