November 22 I Monday

Ezekiel 18-19

James 4

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through Him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.”  —2 Corinthians 1:20

The reason we can trust God to produce honesty in us is because of His faithfulness. God makes lots of promises in Scripture, and every one of them is fulfilled in and by Christ. Jesus is the Saviour promised already in the Garden of Eden, and it is because of God’s faithfulness—something we see particularly through Christ’s death and resurrection—that we can trust God to fulfill His promises to us.

      Why then do some of God’s promises seem to remain unfulfilled in our lives? Why do we still feel anxious when we present our requests to Him, or why do we fear something even though we know God is with us? While God’s promises have their “yes” in Christ, it is up to us to say “Amen” to them. “Amen” is a response meaning, “let it be so” and “it is true.” It is a response of faith that says, “What God has promised, Christ has fulfilled, and I trust Him.” The promises of God become experiential when we respond with “Amen,” and trust God’s promises are true as we live in dependence on Him.

      One of the primary reasons God’s promises may seem unfulfilled in our lives is because of a lack of trust. We may intellectually assent to the promises of God, but until we live in a spirit of thankfulness and dependence on what God has already fulfilled in Christ, we will find ourselves missing out on the good things God has promised. This is also why we do not need to fear if we do not feel saved. Our salvation depends not on our feelings, but on the promise that nothing can “separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39). We will sometimes wrestle with God and wonder why He feels absent or distant, but we can rest assured that we are held secure in His promises because of Christ.

      Paul writes later in 2 Corinthians, “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). God’s promise here is that He will make us stand firm, and He confirms this promise with the gift of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Just as we said “Yes” and “Amen” to the Holy Spirit living in us, His presence confirms all of God’s promises are “Yes” in Christ Jesus, to which we can gladly say “Amen” to the glory of God.

Prayer: Father God, what You have promised, let it be so—amen! I choose to believe Your promises and ask for Your help in living every day in dependence on You. Thank You, Lord.