When God makes a promise it reflects and reveals part of who He is as a being, and the more we understand the things He has promised man the more we can understand Him. If we desire to know more about God then we could do no better than to seek to understand His promises written in the Bible. Below I have listed just 7 of the many wonderful promises that God has made to us and which we can rely upon.
1. God promises never to flood the earth again
(Genesis 9:11-17)
Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 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. The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
Every time we see the rainbow in the sky it is a reflection of God's promise to mankind, and His desire to see us prosper throughout the generations of history.
God is faithful in keeping His word and we can be fully confident that the earth will never again suffer judgement through a world wide flood. We may need to endure local or even national flooding during monsoon season or after cyclones etc. but it's reach will always be limited to a region or country only.
2. God promises that the seasons will continue
(Genesis 8:20-22)
Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.
“While the earth remains,
Seed-time and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”
The importance of the seasons is lost on many city dwelling people because they merely travel to the supermarket and fill up their trolleys with the goods that come from our farming communities.
Farmers are far more in touch with the changing seasons as it influences greatly the processes of planting and harvesting the crops that end up on our dining tables. Even those of us who may have a vegetable patch in the backyard become more aware of the growth cycles of plants and the importance of planting specific seeds in the correct season.
It is reassuring that mankind can depend upon the seasonal changes and prepare for them, that they might continue to prosper and provide for their families.
3. God promises to provide for you and your family
(Matthew 7:7-12)
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
(2 Corinthians 6:18)
“I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.”
(Hebrews 11:6)
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
God has revealed Himself as our Heavenly Father, and as a father He has both rights and responsibilities. Because He is also our creator He legally has the right to rule over us as our God and King, and also has the right to judge our behaviour as His subjects.
But God is the One who taught us that there is no such thing as having rights without also having responsibilities. One of the major responsibilities that we as men have learned from Him is to accept our role as provider for our families.
Just as God accepts the responsibility to provide for all in the world who come to Him in faith, trusting for His provision and protection, so we as earthly fathers must do the same for our families.
4. God promises to give us a New Heavens and New Earth
(Revelation 21:1)
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
(Isaiah 65:17)
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
Many people in the world are becoming alarmed over the changes that are happening within our climate and the pollution we continue to emit through many of the processes used in modern industry and agriculture. Now as a young man I also was concerned about the seemingly continuous downward spiral that mankind was on, and feared greatly for the future of our planet and the generations that would follow us.
Now I still believe in limiting pollution wherever possible and in developing sound sustainable agricultural and industrial practices, because as far as I'm concerned that is merely good management and looking after the gift of the creation that we as mankind were given in the Garden of Eden.
The corruption that came into mankind with the fall of Adam and Eve also corrupted the earth and for this reason God is going to create a brand new Heaven and Earth where sin cannot enter and where God's peace and joy will overflow.
But my heart is focused upon walking right with God while upon this earth first that I might qualify to enjoy the new heavens and earth in eternity!
5. God promises to give us a new heart
(Ezekiel 36:26)
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh
(Ezekiel 11:19)
Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh
(John 3:3)
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Many of the difficulties that we face as mankind stemmed from our first contact and our deception by Satan. Satan's deception of Eve in the Garden of Eden resulted in their disobedience to God's command and culminated in their expulsion from the garden. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God their inner nature changed from one that was wonderful and overflowing with wisdom and life, to the fallen nature of Satan and all mankind became subject to sin and death.
For this reason mankind needs to receive God's forgiveness and mercy and the miraculous work of His Holy Spirit in transforming our old spirit and renewing it through cleansing and restoration. The Bible calls this process being "Born Again" and in it individuals have their inner lives transformed and are accepted again as children of God.
6. God promises to give us an eternal home
(John 14:1-3)
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 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 to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also"
For thousands of years God has been outworking a plan to bring His wayward children back into His home that He might extend to them an abundance of love, forgiveness and acceptance.
Eternity is forever and those whom God accepts as His children are brought into His house and provided for out of the abundance of our Father's heart. God's provision of an eternal home for each of us should grant us a deep and abiding sense of safety and security, and a wonderful thankfulness of heart.
7. God promises to wipe away every tear
(Revelation 21:4)
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
So much of life upon this earth is full of pain and suffering and God has assured us that Heaven will be amazingly different and so glorious that all those bad memories we have experienced will be erased and replaced by the wonders of God's love.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this short list of just some of the wonderful things that God has promised us, both those we can rely upon now in this world and those we look forward to in eternity.
How do you rate as a Great Dad?
Dads' UNI can also assist you in continuing to develop your own fathering style through a Free subscription that emails you a Fathering Tip each week.