We watched a Christian movie the other night. I especially appreciated one scene where the older man asked the man character if he had, as he promised, actually prayed for him. The young man hung his head and admitted no, he had not.
His honesty made more of a statement than had he fudged or lied. It’s a common situation for believers. We often tell people we’ll pray for them, in person or perhaps in response to something posted on social media. And it is a promise, at least in God’s eyes.
God takes promises seriously. He’s kept every single one He’s ever made.
My omnibenevolent Lord convicted me of this very sin – failure to pray when I said I would – a while ago. In contrition, I asked Him to prompt me to pray when I make that vow. Another promise He has kept – I get reminded! So it’s a commitment when I tell you I will talk to the Father about your need. He sees to it that I do.
People sometimes ask me if God always answers my prayers. Yes, He has pledged to do so. And He keeps His promises. Now, does He always give me the answer I’m looking for? Of course not. He’s God. He does what He wants, which happens to be what is best – another example of a guarantee.
Are you starting to see a pattern here? God always does what He says He is going to.
That’s why when I say something, no matter how casually I mean it, it sounds like a surety to God. That’s who He is. That’s how He wants us to be.
Do I always do what’s right? No. I do not. I struggle with my ever-present sin-nature, just as every child of God does.
So I value scenes like that in the movie, where the main character owns up to his sin. When we recognize our iniquity, we can confess it, and God “is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). Once cleansed, we can start again to be formed into the person we are meant to be, in an imagine like the Son.
Once again, a wonderful promise of God that we can count on
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