Possessing The Promises of God

As believers in Christ Jesus, we possess a peculiar treasure. That treasure is every promise in the Word of God. According to 2 Corinthians 1:20, all the promises of God in Him are yea and amen to the glory of God. Every promise is ours to have and to hold by faith. We receive them by faith, and we possess them right now.

When we possess something, we have legal right and ownership of it. It belongs to us, and we should enjoy it. God has given us many things that we can richly enjoy, but our greatest estate is the Word of God. Thank God for nice houses and shiny new cars, but those things are a penny in comparison to what we have in Christ Jesus.

The promises of God should make a difference in how we live on a practical level. Having therefore these promises dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all of the filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Corinthians 7:1. If we did not have any promises from God, we would have no basis for our faith. We would miss the excitement and rest that expectant faith gives us. We’ve got to have the Word or we simply can’t make it.

Many of the things that we trust God for doesn’t happen right away. We have to wait on them. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have it. We possess it by faith. We have never passed through the "Pearly Gates", walked the streets of transparent gold, or sung in the Heavenly Choir, but we believe the Word so completely that the promise effects how we live. We walk in such a way so as to not allow this world’s pleasure to distract us from our goal of spending eternity with Jesus. We believe that hell is a place where the worm dieth not and the fire is never quenched (Mark 9:44), therefore we dread actions that will send us there. The promise of heaven is for the future, yet it effects how we live today. We possess that promise and it shows.

God promised Israel a land flowing with milk and honey. Moses possessed that promise so completely that he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Hebrews 11: 24,25. Even though Moses didn’t make it into the land of promise, he was able to stand on the mountain and say, "I know that it is a good land, full of goodness and fatness, big enough and wide enough to take care of all of the people." When people told Moses, "We don’t believe that God is speaking to you", Moses was encouraged by the promise he possessed. When Aaron and Mirian got mad at him and tried to take over, the promise he possessed kept him from giving up. If you believe the promises of God, I’m so grateful for you. But if you want truly violent faith; a faith capable of taking the kingdom by force, then you will have to possess the promises.

The person who possesses the promises of God lives in a different world. He looks more on the unseen spiritual things. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in men Psalms 118:8. Far too often, we want to see it, touch it and feel it. We want proof. Israel wanted proof in the wilderness. When they got their belly full of manna and quail (the proof), they forgot all about God. The promises of God are all the proof we need. Millions died in the wilderness because they failed to possess the promises.

When we possess God’s promises, we are leaning toward God Himself. …for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Hebrews 11:6. God is training His people to trust in Him. When we read the Word and believe what it says, we are brought face to face with the God who made and fulfills His promises. This process is so vital to the whole spiritual life. We need to know how close God is to us, so God organizes our life in such a way that we must depend on Him for everything.

For years, the Israelites gathered manna in the wilderness every morning, yet they thought nothing about it. They no longer saw the hand of God in it. What a shame! Yet we see the exact same thing today. As long as our community is full of government-sponsored food, who needs God. As long as people can live in rent-free housing at taxpayer’s expense, they don’t care about self-restraint and morality.

Listen. It’s by God’s grace that we are able to make a living. We aren’t making in on our own. It’s by God’s kindness that we are able to go to the store and buy food when we are hungry. If you have free anything, it didn’t just pop up; God sent it. It is all the Lord’s doing, and it’s marvelous in our eyes.

It is horrible to live without being mindful of God’s presence in our life. Who supplies our needs if God doesn’t? Who sustains us and protects us? Without the awareness of God in our affairs, we are miserable, poor and wretched. Forgetting God is a curse. God doesn’t want us to forget Him, so He fills His Word with promises that are both great and precious.

"But I prayed a long time ago and it hasn’t happened yet". That’s all right. God is just training you. Be patient and stay hopeful. If waiting is not producing patience in you, you are holding yourself up.

God’s promises are something to look forward to. We can expect higher and greater things. We should never settle for mediocrity. Promise after promise we have already received. Yet there is still so much more to possess.

Do you possess the promises of God? Are you looking for a deeper experience than you ever dreamed possible? Then I encourage you to press on toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

By: Edmund Brown