Since God first created man, He has made covenant with us—giving and fulfilling His promises. Over and over again these promises can be found in His Word, coming to pass in His stories of creation.
From Adam and Eve in the Garden, to the resurrection of Jesus we find covenants, promises, and prophecy, being spoken and fulfilled… even to this day!
God’s Promises:
The first time a rainbow was ever seen in the Word is perhaps one of the most memorable of God’s promises found there. For God, after covering the whole earth to sanctify it and His people, gave the sign of a rainbow as a visual reminder to us of the promise He made at that time, to never flood the whole earth again.
“And God said… ‘I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.’”—Genesis 9:12-15
We can remember God’s mercy, goodness, and promise every time we see a rainbow. Yet, further than that, God can use them to remind us of His personal promises for our lives and those around us.
There is hope and mercy found within those few lines of light-bending color.
Promise is found not only in the rainbow of the storm—though it serves as a much-needed reminder that God is for us. Promise is found in the still small voice of our Creator… by the Holy Spirit speaking His will inside our hearts.
“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”—Romans 5:5
When Jesus died upon the cross, then rose again three days later, He was doing more than one thing. In the multitude of things that His sacrifice accomplished, there was a completion of promise and a giving of promise…
“… ‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.’”—Luke 18:31
It was prophesied that God would send His Son to be the sacrificial lamb of our restoration. For the cleansing of our sins so that we might have access to the Father, to bring the Gentile peoples into the fold of His Jewish people; making one new man from the two. Yet, further still, Jesus’ actions gave us many promises—and reminded us of those that are daily fulfilled.
It is said in Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” As Jesus fulfilled God’s Word—His promises—He not only brought us into Himself, giving us the blessing of the Holy Spirit to guide us—a part of Himself so that we might serve as living temples—but He also gave us confirmation. Just as Abraham took Isaac up to sacrifice him to God—as confirmation of His loyalty and honor—God took Jesus to be our sacrifice… the only difference being, Abraham was spared the sacrifice, God was not.
Calling Forth the Promise as WE Fulfill Promise:
In each of our lives there are times when it feels as though the promises of God—those things prophesied to us, given in dreams, etc.—are not coming. It may seem as though somehow our promise got lost, was delayed, or was not truly for us.
Yes, sometimes our actions or the actions of others can cause delay. After all, God is not going to plant our promises in soil where they cannot grow. But we know, God is a promise keeper! Unless we refuse delivery of the promise, it is coming. God is faithful.
“Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.”—Deuteronomy 7:9
God is faithful even when we do not act faithfully—when we negate our promises or cling to that which we are to give. Therefore, we—like Abraham—sometimes have to take our Isaacs up the mountain. We have to lay the promise at the feet of God as a sacrifice… knowing that since God gave it to us in the first place, it is His. If we are meant to keep that promise in the season we are in, and not exchange it for a new one, God will, as with Abraham, allow us, the ‘earthly father’ to keep our Isaac—the promise.
Similarly, we are meant to give that which we need—the promise. We are called to further the Kingdom of God, to walk as our God does in all things. Thus, we are meant to be great givers, for God Himself is the greatest giver—though none could ever give the level, the height, of His blessing upon them.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”—James 1:17
We are meant to walk as our Father and He gives in good measure…
“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”—Luke 6:37-38
Therefore, if God has promised us increased authority, we should strive to respect those in authority. Acting in honor in all things, even when we know those in authority to be lacking the skills required or behaving foolishly. God walks in honor, it is the currency of Heaven, and we are meant to walk in it also.
Likewise, if we have been promised of God an increase in our finances, we should examine our relationship with money, making sure that we are following what the Word says in regard to tithes, offerings, special offerings, and first fruits—researching all of these and giving as God directs.
Takeaway:
In life, we have all been promised things and had things promised by us in return. Yet, how many times have we, or others, failed to complete our promises? Yes, things come up, plans change, and sometimes we make promises when we do not have all of the facts. Yet, God ALWAYS keeps His promises. He is a covenant and promise keeper!
Everything in His Word has, is, and will come to pass… every promise, every dot and tittle. He has everything under control. However, He does use us—mankind—as vessels of promise fulfillment. He does not need to, yet for our benefit, He does. He allows us to see the transfer of wealth and promise to His people and know the great joy of working beside Him—like a child helping their parent, joyful at being involved.
We can be a part of preparing for the return of Messiah—Jesus. We can be a part of setting the final pieces in place so that the greatest harvest of souls the world has ever known can come to pass.
We can be an answer to the call of restoration, our call, AND see the words of the Word come to life before our eyes!
At My Olive Tree one of the greatest joys we know is in setting the pieces of God’s Word into place as He allows. From restoring the King’s Valley Garden where Jesus will walk on His way to Jerusalem… to restoring the desert, causing it to bloom, just as spoken in Isaiah 35… to caring for those God has called, His chosen people who are tired, hungry, and thirsty.
God is moving mightily in the world as He prepares for Jesus’ return. Israel is being restored, and we, God’s grafted-in, are right in the midst of His promises!
Let us join together to answer the promises of the Word, opening the windows of Heaven in our lives, and the lives of all God’s people. Let us answer the call so that we might hear those beloved words, “well done, good and faithful servant.”