THE PROMISE KEEPING GOD

I declare that I will bring you up out  of the misery of Egypt, to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amonites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, a land flowing with milk and honey” Exodus. 3:16.
Have you ever experienced the bitter sting of a broken promise from a close friend?  Few things hurt worse than this kind of betrayal; most likely it hurts because it marks the faltering trust between two companions.  For this reason, it is of eternal value to recognize the trustworthiness of Almighty God.  We serve a God of promises.  He promised a new land for His people Israel, a child to elderly Abraham and a Saviour for the world.  Each of these and many more were fulfilled in time according to his perfect will.  Hebrew 10:23 affirms “He who promised is faithful”
Sometimes, however God’s promises are marked with conditions.  Although we serve a God of limitless grace and mercy, He often charges us with responsibility upon which our success depends.  For instance, in today’s passage, we see that confidence, obedience and endurance are all vital elements in receiving what has been promised.
God wants us to know Him as God who makes and keeps promises.  He makes promises because of the goodness and love that are the very nature of His character.  God wants us to trust Him as the God who can and will fulfill His promises.
God will fulfill His promises not because we are faithful and not because we are good, God will fulfill His promises because he is good and faithful.
God will keep His promises because He has the power and wisdom to make sure they will be fulfilled.
When God declares Himself to be God of promises, Moses asks the initial question, “What is your Name?  Meaning: who are you that you make such promises?” who are you that you can do such a thing like this?  I AM WHO I AM” Meaning: I will be who I will be.  I have all the power, all the wisdom, all the presence and all the character to do whatever I say I will do.
It is pertinent to understand that we serve the God of mercy and covenant.  In His mercy, He keeps promises without any obligation on our part, those promises which we can only receive through grace and mercy because of our limited human nature.  When He promised to deliver Israel from slavery, it was an unconditional promise.  When He promised to send the Saviour, He gave no condition because He knew that on our part we could do nothing to actualize the promise.
As God of covenant also, many of the promises are conditional.  See for instance Deuteronomy chapter 8:1-14, the many blessings God promised in that passage put on us a demand of diligent obedience of all His laws and commandments.
Man has always defaulted on His covenant with God, while God has remained faithful.  God is not a human being, that He should lie; or a mortal, that He should change His mind.  Has He promised, and will He not do it? Has He spoken and will He not fulfill it?  (Numbers 23:19, NRSV).
God’s word contains literally thousands of promises waiting to be claimed by faith if only we can faithfully fulfill our part of the bargain.  Fulfilling our own part is a way of challenging the Mighty Man in battle.  God asks His children to challenge/test Him so as to see His mighty works.  “Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty and see if I will not throw open the flood gates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.  Malachi 3:10B (NIV).
As we claim the thousands of promises in the scripture, may God give us the grace to be faithful and obedient to His laws and commandments.

Remain Blessed.
Your brother, friend and Pastor