Promise Keeper

Picture a father tossing his kid up in the air as they giggle and laugh. Every time he throws his child into the air he makes a promise. The promise is this : "I will catch you". Every time the child lands safely back in his strong arms his promise is kept. He is a promise keeper and the little child knows it. Willingly, they continue free-falling into his arms, full of trust.

Recently God has been showing me how He is the ultimate Promise Keeper. Scripture is chalk full of promises! Promise upon promise! We are promised salvation , grace , wisdom , forgiveness , words in season , perfect peace , strength and more. I am well acquainted with many of these promises , however God has to take me back to spiritual kindergarten sometimes. This is the simple , yet profound thought God has been teaching me lately.

It is not I but Christ. Everything. Every single thing. I am helpless. There is no good thing in me. The only good thing in me is Jesus. He is my salvation , my joy , my life. As the verse says in Galatians 2: 20 "it is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me". It is by His power and sacrifice that I am both saved AND kept.

In Jeremiah 31: 33 God promises to write His law on our minds and make it part of our being. In Leviticus 20: 8 He says He will sanctify us. In Jude verse 24 He promises to keep us from falling into sin. Similarly, 1 John 3: 9 promises that if we are abiding in Christ we cannot sin...we CAN NOT be snatched out of His hand. Our victory is assured.

Now, if God is the Promise Maker, doesn't it make sense He would be the Promise Keeper? When I honestly evaluate my thoughts, actions and motives I realize how often I try to keep the promises God makes. Eagerly I commit myself whole-heartedly to Him and head out to "finish" His work in the world and my life. If only I would recognize the impossibility of this. Maybe then I would be reminded to seek constant connection to my only Source of Power and Victory.

I cannot save a soul...apart from the Savior. I cannot live victoriously...apart from the Victor. No more than a branch can continue living when cut off from the tree. I am nothing. It is literally God dwelling in me, doing the impossible.
To the end of time, He will be my everything. My fate will be eternally secure only because I have settled into my dependence on Christ and cannot be moved from my place of refuge.

Yes, I am ask to free-fall into my Heavenly Father's arms, but He has kept every promise He ever made. He is the Promise Keeper and He's got me.

Psalm 4 : 8

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