God’s Promises – Mother’s Day Sermonette

Not too long ago, the Lord woke me up in the middle of the night to pray… and I felt an overwhelming assurance of His love through the promises that He has already given us in His Word.

I can’t begin to tell you how blessed I have been.

Oh, I’ve had hardships, but even in the midst of those… there has always been an underlying peace that passes all understanding.  His amazing peace, His love and His assurance.

That feeling is from knowing without a doubt that what His word says is true.

 

I began to wonder, how I became so convinced?  There are many who don’t believe in God, or aren’t sure if he can love them or change them… If you only had time to sit and listen to my life story, you would know without a shadow of a doubt that He is all that He says He is.  All that He PROMISES He is.

I’m a living breathing testimony of the promises of God.

I remember when I graduated from high school; I received a booklet from my cousins called “God’s Promises to the Graduate.”  I’ll admit, at that time I didn’t value the booklet like I should have. It wasn’t the type of a gift that a teenager wanted from an open house… that was money for whatever the next adventure would be. It had categories of different life struggles and scripture references to battle the situation.  For some reason, it was something that I always held onto.  I’ll never forget that gift or the meaning with which it was given. What I didn’t realize then was that this book was my map/directions/tools for the adventures to come, it was something that would help me through difficult times. It was the Word of God broken up into treasure tokens for moments when I needed it most.

 

I won’t have time to go through every promise of God, so I’m going to pick a few that have helped me.  In 1991, I went to Bible College.  And, although I had never walked away from what my parents taught me as a child, this was the time and the place were I found it for myself.

 

As I studied the Word of God, I found promises of salvation and forgiveness.

Like Psalms 27:1 “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

 

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are new.”

Acts 2:38-39 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  For the PROMISE is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.”

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

 

I found promises that relied upon me seeking and trusting in Him.  If I could just learn to walk with Him in them… Wow!!!  The amazing became available to me!  I began to watch as He led me.

 

Proverbs 8:17 “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.”

This was a scripture I held onto at college in Jackson, MS.  My mother would pray early in the morning back at home, so I would get up early to pray at the same time with her.  This is where I learned how to pray for myself and for others.  In those early hours…

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.”

Proverbs 4:20-22 “…attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.”

John 10:27-28 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

Proverbs 8:35 “For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.”

These promises led me as I moved back home and helped my parents in ministry… and then getting married to my husband… the love of my life.  I believe it was a GOD THING! Grandpa Jones bought us the “Traditional Family Bible.”  It isn’t the type of Bible we normally use, but it is another reminder of God’s Promises to us as a family.

Then again in 1998, I was a new mother… and my mother gave me a book called “God’s Tender Promises for Mothers.”  As I poured through the pages… I found some of the same treasures as I did in my first booklet, but now those same promises that I used during my young adult years, were there for me at a different time in my life.  As a mother…

Promises like  Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Psalm 84:11 “For the LORD God is a sun and shield:  the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

 

Job 36:11 “If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.”

 

Psalm 91:1-2  “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God, in Him will I trust.”

Some of those long nights, with a crying child, a sick child, all those things that come with motherhood… I learned to lift my child before God and say… “Here, she is Yours! Now, I ask You to please help me to train her, protect her, instruct her, love her…” I found a song that would comfort and strengthen me, while calming my daughter too. It was “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.”

You may ask, what does a song have to do with anything?… Here is another promise, Psalm 32:7 “You are my hiding place; You will preserve me from trouble; You will surround me with songs of deliverance.”

 

Later, we went through a time when my husband was out of work…

During this time, I held onto promises like… Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:”

 

Psalm 55:22 “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”

 

Psalm 37:25 “I have been young, and now am I old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”

 

Luke 6:38 –  “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.  For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

We learned to give out of whatever we had… and watched time after time how God returned the funds… it was always more than what we had given!  Always!

 

As I was looking for the “God’s promises for the Graduate” book, which must be packed away in the basement,  I found another Promise book that was given to me on January 11, 2003.  I started to cry and praise God, when I saw the date, and that it was yet another book of promises given to me at a critical time in my life…

Many of you have heard the testimony of me being on my death bed… and not expected to live… but again, God had promises for me…  He is my healer, and my strength… the One who holds me!

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

 

Jeremiah 17:14 “Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed, save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.”

 

Psalm 91:15 “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.”

 

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

 

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

 

Isaiah 43:2 “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

 

That same year… we came to start the church in Kentwood… these were promises that have held us together, when things seemed to be falling apart.

Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

 

Psalm 37:4 “Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

 

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

 

2 Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stabish you, and keep you from evil.”

 

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

 

Genesis 28:15 “And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.”

 

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

And the promises go on and on…

John 15:4 “Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”

James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

 

Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.”

 

John 14:2-3 “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

 

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

 

I want to continue to see God’s promises abundant in my life. These promises are not just for me, though! They are for anyone who desires to receive them.  And what some of these promises mean to me, they mean something completely different in your situation.  He is a personal God!!  His promises are astounding in number, and every one of them are bound by HIS WORD. His promises cannot fail!  I know for some it seems difficult to do what He asks of us… But what we give in return is so little to what He has already given.

 

Remember, I asked the question, How did I become convinced?  I guess a better question is… How can I not be convinced?  As I open these books again, my heart begins to rejoice in the promises of God.  I’ve seen them come to pass in my life.  I’ve watched as He protected, provided, healed, strengthened, and so much more.

This year my dad was diagnosed with cancer, and then went into a diabetic coma and we were afraid we were going to lose him…  But I watched as God miraculously pulled him out of the coma by his healing hand.  God still has a work for him to do.  My dad is still going through chemo to treat the cancer, and so as a family we are still on this journey…  I find myself again, standing in the need of God’s Promises. Then, on Tuesday night (at our Friendship Tea), my mother gave me a box of God’s Promise cards.  It isn’t in the form of a book this time, but I can’t help but believe God is saying, “I’m still here, no matter what you are facing, my promises still stand.”

Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

His promises are for everyone… they are amazing, beautiful, uplifting, strengthening… everything you could possibly need.  All you need to do, is begin to trust Him at His Word… and watch those promises begin to unfold in your life.

 

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *