God's Promise is Sure
Genesis 17:1-27
Message #7
We last left Abraham before the Christmas messages, so let’s catch up. Our last message was called “What is Your Hagar?” It was about Abraham and Sarah taking matters into their own hands and trying to accomplish in the flesh what God had promised to do by his Spirit.
God had promised Abraham so many times and even made an unbreakable covenant with Abraham (Chapter 15) that God would make a nation of people out of Abraham and that God would make Abraham’s descendants too many to number – That God would do this.
And so, with all those incredible promises from God, Abraham decided to take over in his own flesh what God had promised to do by his Spirit. And so, Abraham pulled off the epitome of trying to accomplish God’s promise in your own flesh. And Abraham had a son, Ishmael, through Hagar, Sarah’s servant.
And maybe Abraham made such a huge mistake because maybe Abraham was afraid that God’s promise WASN’T sure.
How about us? Has God made a promise to us, and are we afraid that maybe God’s promise isn’t sure? Do we read God’s promises? Do we hear God’s promises? Then, do we doubt that God’s promises are sure?
In our last message, Abraham wasn’t sure that God’s promise was sure. And so, he took things into his own hands, and he made a huge mess of everything. Have we done that? Are we considering doing that right now? Can you hear me today, please? God’s promises are sure!!! As sure as GOD IS – his promises are that sure.
The last verse of the previous chapter, Genesis 16, verse 16 says, 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Ismael was born. And the first verse of our message today, Genesis 17, verse 1, says, 1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him…
Thirteen years had passed since Ishmael was born, and it’s been an excruciating thirteen years. Thirteen years ago, Abraham and Sarah tried to accomplish in the flesh what God had promised by the Spirit. And Ishmael has become a permanent example to us of what happens when we try to help God out and do things our own way. So for thirteen years, there’s been friction in the house as Sarah watches Ishmael grow up with Hagar flaunting it in her face regularly. God had told Hagar that Ishmael would be difficult and wild and that he would cause problems for everyone around him, and at thirteen years old, Ishmael was already living that out.
So, God had given Abraham thirteen years to live with the consequence of his fleshly decision. That is a lesson in itself, isn’t it? God had given Abraham thirteen years to live with the consequences of his fleshly decision.
But then God shows back up with power. The Lord comes back as EL-SHADDAI – The Almighty God. And he comes back to remind Abraham who he is and what he is going to do.
Genesis 17:1 (NLT)
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.
This is the first time God reveals himself as El-Shaddai. But then we find this name El-Shaddai – God Almighty all throughout scripture. (Forty-eight times in the Old Testament, and thirty of those times are in Job. Ten times in the New Testament.)
Here is a definition of El-Shaddai:
“the all-powerful and all-sufficient God who can do anything and meet any need.”
After thirteen years of allowing Abraham to live with his own choices, God wanted him to know I AM the all-powerful and all-sufficient God who can do anything and meet any need. There’s no need for your fleshly efforts – I don’t need your help. I am El-Shaddai – ‘God Almighty.’ I can handle it.
And then God says this in Genesis 17, verse 2.
Genesis 17:2 (NLT)
2 I will make (or confirm) a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.”
The all-powerful and all-sufficient God (El-Shaddai) is going to confirm his promise to Abraham – again. But this time, unlike the first time in Genesis 15, Abraham is not put to sleep because this time, Abraham has a role in the covenant.
Genesis 17:3–5 (NLT)
3 At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him,
4 “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations!
5 What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations.
It is here that God changes Abram’s name to the name we know him by – Abraham. The name Abraham means “Father of a Multitude.” And remember, names are super significant in the Bible. They were descriptive, especially when given by God. And so now, every time someone used Abraham’s new name, he was reminded of God’s promise. Every time someone said, “Hey, Abraham,” they were saying, “Hey, Father of a Multitude.”
And then, in verse 6, God says the following.
Genesis 17:6 (NLT)
6 I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!
Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!
That’s a pretty tall order for a man one hundred years old. But Abraham had descendants through Ishmael that became the Arab nations. And he had descendants that became other nations through his other sons that would eventually be born (he had six other sons after Isaac). But God’s covenant promise was to come through Isaac, and through Isaac ultimately came Jesus Christ.
And Galatians 3 verse 29 says,
Galatians 3:29 (ESV)
29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
God’s promise is sure. It is sure and guaranteed.
And then God says,
Genesis 17:7 (NLT)
7 “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
The Almighty God (El-Shaddai) makes a covenant promise that includes us (as Abraham’s spiritual offspring), and that covenant promise is: I will always be your God. If you belong to Christ today, then The Almighty God, who can DO anything and MEET any need – WILL ALWAYS BE YOUR GOD. The Great Almighty God has promised to always be your God!! And God’s promises are sure!!!
And then the land is also a key part of this promise.
Genesis 17:8 (NLT)
8 And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”
Just like God has promised to always be your God (through Christ), God has also promised to always be Israel’s God, and God has permanently given Israel the land of Canaan.
And when God says in verse 6 that Kings will be among the descendants of Abraham, he’s referring first to the Kings of Israel starting, especially with King David. And then through the lineage of King David comes the King of all kings, who IS Jesus Christ, who will rule from the Promised Land of Israel and who will rule the People of God for eternity.
And now, God gives Abraham his role in this covenant, and his role is a response of obedience to what God has promised.
Genesis 17:9–11 (NLT)
9 Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility.
10 This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised.
11 You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you.
Circumcision is a sign of cutting away the flesh of our lives as our role in response to God’s covenant with us. It’s a picture of cutting away the fleshly nature of our hearts.
Deuteronomy 30:6 (ESV)
6 And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
And then God continues in verses 12-14.
Genesis 17:12–14 (NLT)
12 From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased.
13 All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant.
14 Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant.”
And in the New Testament, circumcision is still a sign of receiving God’s covenant of grace. Only now, it is a spiritual circumcision of your heart.
Romans 2:28–29 (ESV)
28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical.
29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter . . .
True circumcision is a circumcision of the heart produced by the Spirit, and that goes for everyone who truly receives God’s covenant promise of salvation today. Our response is to cut away the flesh of our heart. That’s our response in obedience. It always is a radical response, and it is always costly. And it opens the door for God to work. When you obey radically, it somehow opens the door for God to respond radically.
And finally, God makes his plan really clear to Abraham and maybe to stop any more “mistakes.”
Genesis 17:15 (NLT)
15 Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah.
Sarai and Sarah both mean princess.
Genesis 17:16 (NLT)
16 And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”
God makes it crystal clear to Abraham that the son of promise is going to come from Sarah – not from any works of his flesh.
This is so awesome! El-Shaddai – The Almighty God had made this incredible covenant promise to Abraham, and so Abraham, the Father of the Faith, responds (maybe) like you or I would. Abraham begins by bowing down to the ground. But then he breaks out laughing in disbelief (which to me is hard to believe).
Genesis 17:17–18 (NLT)
17 Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?”
18 So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!”
So, Abraham laughs to himself and then says, basically, “Oh, God. You’re such a kidder. May Ishmael live under your special blessing,” implying that God certainly can’t bring this promise to pass through Sarah…
But God is so incredibly full of grace toward Abraham.
And God is so incredibly full of grace toward us.
We call this the “grace flood.” If you get to that place where you think, “I’ve crossed the line. God’s grace can’t reach me here,” all you have to do is look at the heroes of the Bible, and you’ll be able to say, “Oh, no. I’m still good.” Right?
And so, God says to Abraham in verse 19.
Genesis 17:19 (NLT)
19 But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac (which means laughter), and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.
I wonder if God started talking slower and louder to get this across to Abraham.
But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.
God makes it clear this spiritual covenant is for Isaac and his descendants, including the spiritual descendants of Abraham, who put their faith in Jesus Christ.
And now that God has (hopefully) made that clear, God continues in the next verses.
Genesis 17:20–22 (NLT)
20 As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.
21 But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.”
22 When God had finished speaking, he left Abraham.
And Abraham finally did respond in faith. He did follow through as a sign of his faith. And what Abraham did physically, each of us is called to do spiritually. That is, cut away the works of the flesh as a sign that we have received the covenant of salvation from God.
Genesis 17:23–27 (NLT)
23 On that very day Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household, including those born there and those he had bought. Then he circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins, just as God had told him.
24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised,
25 and Ishmael, his son, was thirteen.
26 Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, were circumcised on that same day,
27 along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. All were circumcised with him.
Guys, God has offered us an incredible, eternal covenant. He has promised to be our Almighty God – El-Shaddai. He’s done everything necessary – he’s provided all we need – in himself. But we still have a role. Our role is to respond in obedient faith to God’s promises, and the sign of that faith is the circumcision of our heart. It’s the cutting away of our attempts to do in the flesh what God has promised to do by his Spirit.
We’ve got to cut away the fleshly choices, fleshly thoughts, the fleshly desires, and ideas. That’s our response in faith that matches the circumcision physically that Abraham responded to. Again, it’s the cutting away of our attempts to do in the flesh what God has promised to do by his Spirit.
And so, as we close, can I ask you where in your life do you need to know that God’s promises are sure? Where in your life do you need to know that as sure as God exists that his promises are that sure? His promises are “yes” and “amen.” They are sure.
Maybe you’ve never made a true commitment to believe and receive God’s promise of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Maybe you have doubts about El-Shaddai’s promises are sure. Maybe you have doubts about his promise of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. His promise for the covenant of salvation, the covenant of grace, is just as sure as the Abrahamic covenant promise was. Just as sure. If you’ve never made that commitment to truly believe, you can do that today. Don’t let your fleshly thoughts or experiences, or what somebody did or didn’t do in the church, or all the stuff, don’t let it get in your way. The Almighty God wants to make an eternal covenant of salvation with you. Receive that.
And maybe you have received God’s promise of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. If so, in what other area of your life are you struggling to believe God’s promises are sure? What area of your life are you saying, “Yeah, God. I know. I know what the Good Book says. But you know, I’m not seeing it.” Well, maybe you are in your thirteen years. Where is it that you can say this? “God, I may not understand what I see, but I know you. And you are El-Shaddai, the Almighty God, and you can do what you choose to do, and you can meet every need you choose to meet.”
Whether for salvation or for circumstances in your life, let’s settle this one thing for sure.
God’s promises are sure!!!
God had promised Abraham so many times and even made an unbreakable covenant with Abraham (Chapter 15) that God would make a nation of people out of Abraham and that God would make Abraham’s descendants too many to number – That God would do this.
And so, with all those incredible promises from God, Abraham decided to take over in his own flesh what God had promised to do by his Spirit. And so, Abraham pulled off the epitome of trying to accomplish God’s promise in your own flesh. And Abraham had a son, Ishmael, through Hagar, Sarah’s servant.
And maybe Abraham made such a huge mistake because maybe Abraham was afraid that God’s promise WASN’T sure.
How about us? Has God made a promise to us, and are we afraid that maybe God’s promise isn’t sure? Do we read God’s promises? Do we hear God’s promises? Then, do we doubt that God’s promises are sure?
In our last message, Abraham wasn’t sure that God’s promise was sure. And so, he took things into his own hands, and he made a huge mess of everything. Have we done that? Are we considering doing that right now? Can you hear me today, please? God’s promises are sure!!! As sure as GOD IS – his promises are that sure.
The last verse of the previous chapter, Genesis 16, verse 16 says, 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Ismael was born. And the first verse of our message today, Genesis 17, verse 1, says, 1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him…
Thirteen years had passed since Ishmael was born, and it’s been an excruciating thirteen years. Thirteen years ago, Abraham and Sarah tried to accomplish in the flesh what God had promised by the Spirit. And Ishmael has become a permanent example to us of what happens when we try to help God out and do things our own way. So for thirteen years, there’s been friction in the house as Sarah watches Ishmael grow up with Hagar flaunting it in her face regularly. God had told Hagar that Ishmael would be difficult and wild and that he would cause problems for everyone around him, and at thirteen years old, Ishmael was already living that out.
So, God had given Abraham thirteen years to live with the consequence of his fleshly decision. That is a lesson in itself, isn’t it? God had given Abraham thirteen years to live with the consequences of his fleshly decision.
But then God shows back up with power. The Lord comes back as EL-SHADDAI – The Almighty God. And he comes back to remind Abraham who he is and what he is going to do.
Genesis 17:1 (NLT)
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.
This is the first time God reveals himself as El-Shaddai. But then we find this name El-Shaddai – God Almighty all throughout scripture. (Forty-eight times in the Old Testament, and thirty of those times are in Job. Ten times in the New Testament.)
Here is a definition of El-Shaddai:
“the all-powerful and all-sufficient God who can do anything and meet any need.”
After thirteen years of allowing Abraham to live with his own choices, God wanted him to know I AM the all-powerful and all-sufficient God who can do anything and meet any need. There’s no need for your fleshly efforts – I don’t need your help. I am El-Shaddai – ‘God Almighty.’ I can handle it.
And then God says this in Genesis 17, verse 2.
Genesis 17:2 (NLT)
2 I will make (or confirm) a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.”
The all-powerful and all-sufficient God (El-Shaddai) is going to confirm his promise to Abraham – again. But this time, unlike the first time in Genesis 15, Abraham is not put to sleep because this time, Abraham has a role in the covenant.
Genesis 17:3–5 (NLT)
3 At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him,
4 “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations!
5 What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations.
It is here that God changes Abram’s name to the name we know him by – Abraham. The name Abraham means “Father of a Multitude.” And remember, names are super significant in the Bible. They were descriptive, especially when given by God. And so now, every time someone used Abraham’s new name, he was reminded of God’s promise. Every time someone said, “Hey, Abraham,” they were saying, “Hey, Father of a Multitude.”
And then, in verse 6, God says the following.
Genesis 17:6 (NLT)
6 I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!
Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!
That’s a pretty tall order for a man one hundred years old. But Abraham had descendants through Ishmael that became the Arab nations. And he had descendants that became other nations through his other sons that would eventually be born (he had six other sons after Isaac). But God’s covenant promise was to come through Isaac, and through Isaac ultimately came Jesus Christ.
And Galatians 3 verse 29 says,
Galatians 3:29 (ESV)
29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
God’s promise is sure. It is sure and guaranteed.
And then God says,
Genesis 17:7 (NLT)
7 “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
The Almighty God (El-Shaddai) makes a covenant promise that includes us (as Abraham’s spiritual offspring), and that covenant promise is: I will always be your God. If you belong to Christ today, then The Almighty God, who can DO anything and MEET any need – WILL ALWAYS BE YOUR GOD. The Great Almighty God has promised to always be your God!! And God’s promises are sure!!!
And then the land is also a key part of this promise.
Genesis 17:8 (NLT)
8 And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”
Just like God has promised to always be your God (through Christ), God has also promised to always be Israel’s God, and God has permanently given Israel the land of Canaan.
And when God says in verse 6 that Kings will be among the descendants of Abraham, he’s referring first to the Kings of Israel starting, especially with King David. And then through the lineage of King David comes the King of all kings, who IS Jesus Christ, who will rule from the Promised Land of Israel and who will rule the People of God for eternity.
And now, God gives Abraham his role in this covenant, and his role is a response of obedience to what God has promised.
Genesis 17:9–11 (NLT)
9 Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility.
10 This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised.
11 You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you.
Circumcision is a sign of cutting away the flesh of our lives as our role in response to God’s covenant with us. It’s a picture of cutting away the fleshly nature of our hearts.
Deuteronomy 30:6 (ESV)
6 And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
And then God continues in verses 12-14.
Genesis 17:12–14 (NLT)
12 From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased.
13 All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant.
14 Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant.”
And in the New Testament, circumcision is still a sign of receiving God’s covenant of grace. Only now, it is a spiritual circumcision of your heart.
Romans 2:28–29 (ESV)
28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical.
29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter . . .
True circumcision is a circumcision of the heart produced by the Spirit, and that goes for everyone who truly receives God’s covenant promise of salvation today. Our response is to cut away the flesh of our heart. That’s our response in obedience. It always is a radical response, and it is always costly. And it opens the door for God to work. When you obey radically, it somehow opens the door for God to respond radically.
And finally, God makes his plan really clear to Abraham and maybe to stop any more “mistakes.”
Genesis 17:15 (NLT)
15 Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah.
Sarai and Sarah both mean princess.
Genesis 17:16 (NLT)
16 And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”
God makes it crystal clear to Abraham that the son of promise is going to come from Sarah – not from any works of his flesh.
This is so awesome! El-Shaddai – The Almighty God had made this incredible covenant promise to Abraham, and so Abraham, the Father of the Faith, responds (maybe) like you or I would. Abraham begins by bowing down to the ground. But then he breaks out laughing in disbelief (which to me is hard to believe).
Genesis 17:17–18 (NLT)
17 Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?”
18 So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!”
So, Abraham laughs to himself and then says, basically, “Oh, God. You’re such a kidder. May Ishmael live under your special blessing,” implying that God certainly can’t bring this promise to pass through Sarah…
But God is so incredibly full of grace toward Abraham.
And God is so incredibly full of grace toward us.
We call this the “grace flood.” If you get to that place where you think, “I’ve crossed the line. God’s grace can’t reach me here,” all you have to do is look at the heroes of the Bible, and you’ll be able to say, “Oh, no. I’m still good.” Right?
And so, God says to Abraham in verse 19.
Genesis 17:19 (NLT)
19 But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac (which means laughter), and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.
I wonder if God started talking slower and louder to get this across to Abraham.
But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.
God makes it clear this spiritual covenant is for Isaac and his descendants, including the spiritual descendants of Abraham, who put their faith in Jesus Christ.
And now that God has (hopefully) made that clear, God continues in the next verses.
Genesis 17:20–22 (NLT)
20 As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.
21 But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.”
22 When God had finished speaking, he left Abraham.
And Abraham finally did respond in faith. He did follow through as a sign of his faith. And what Abraham did physically, each of us is called to do spiritually. That is, cut away the works of the flesh as a sign that we have received the covenant of salvation from God.
Genesis 17:23–27 (NLT)
23 On that very day Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household, including those born there and those he had bought. Then he circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins, just as God had told him.
24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised,
25 and Ishmael, his son, was thirteen.
26 Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, were circumcised on that same day,
27 along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. All were circumcised with him.
Guys, God has offered us an incredible, eternal covenant. He has promised to be our Almighty God – El-Shaddai. He’s done everything necessary – he’s provided all we need – in himself. But we still have a role. Our role is to respond in obedient faith to God’s promises, and the sign of that faith is the circumcision of our heart. It’s the cutting away of our attempts to do in the flesh what God has promised to do by his Spirit.
We’ve got to cut away the fleshly choices, fleshly thoughts, the fleshly desires, and ideas. That’s our response in faith that matches the circumcision physically that Abraham responded to. Again, it’s the cutting away of our attempts to do in the flesh what God has promised to do by his Spirit.
And so, as we close, can I ask you where in your life do you need to know that God’s promises are sure? Where in your life do you need to know that as sure as God exists that his promises are that sure? His promises are “yes” and “amen.” They are sure.
Maybe you’ve never made a true commitment to believe and receive God’s promise of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Maybe you have doubts about El-Shaddai’s promises are sure. Maybe you have doubts about his promise of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. His promise for the covenant of salvation, the covenant of grace, is just as sure as the Abrahamic covenant promise was. Just as sure. If you’ve never made that commitment to truly believe, you can do that today. Don’t let your fleshly thoughts or experiences, or what somebody did or didn’t do in the church, or all the stuff, don’t let it get in your way. The Almighty God wants to make an eternal covenant of salvation with you. Receive that.
And maybe you have received God’s promise of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. If so, in what other area of your life are you struggling to believe God’s promises are sure? What area of your life are you saying, “Yeah, God. I know. I know what the Good Book says. But you know, I’m not seeing it.” Well, maybe you are in your thirteen years. Where is it that you can say this? “God, I may not understand what I see, but I know you. And you are El-Shaddai, the Almighty God, and you can do what you choose to do, and you can meet every need you choose to meet.”
Whether for salvation or for circumstances in your life, let’s settle this one thing for sure.
God’s promises are sure!!!