For their last gift on Christmas day 2008, Rozy and Kimberlyn opened a box with a mostly-empty Disney scrapbook with Mickey’s face on the cover. When the girls first opened the package, they looked a bit bewildered, because usually give the best gift LAST. Their faces seem to ask “What’s this?”
Our reservation information was attached on the first page of the book (along with a picture of our family taped to a picture of the Cinderella’s Castle), but the girls still didn’t get it. Still puzzled, Patti and I finally announced aloud, “Spring break, we are going to Disney World!” And, the shouting started! Rozy and Kimberlyn immediately started counting days. They had asked (many, many times) to go, and they joyfully anticipated that family vacation.
One of the reasons that felt free to express such joy is the fact that Patti and I do our best to NOT lie to our children. Because we have tried to be honest with them, Rozy and Kimberlyn believed what we said. I am not perfect; yes, I have misspoken and failed to deliver on a number of occasions, but my daughters trusted that Disney was on the way. Before that Christmas morning, Patti and I had followed through with what we had promised enough times, that the girls were quite sure they would soon be seeing Minnie Mouse.
Simple pictures cannot capture how happy Rozy and Kimberlyn were to enter the Magic Kingdom and actually see Cinderella’s castle.
One reason so many of us have such difficulty in trusting God’s promises is because of the pain we have all suffered from people who did not stay true to their word. Unfaithful spouses, backstabbing friends, lying politicians, misleading infomercials, too-busy parents, broken promises – all wound us. We don’t trust for we have learned not to trust. We witness heartbreak, hear disappointing stories, and expect broken promises.
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However, God always keeps His promises.“God is not a human being, and He will not lie.” (Numbers 23:19 NCV) God doesn’t lie, so we can certainly trust His promises. A promise is an assurance that one will do something or that something will happen, and what God has promised – He certainly will get done. We can read hundreds of promises that God has issued in the Bible. Some of the promises are specific to a particular circumstance or a particular individual, but many are available for any believer. Often promises are conditional – demanding an action or response by the individual in order to enjoy the promise. Many require nothing but a personal relationship with Christ Jesus. Some require nothing at all; God is faithful to Himself, so He will accomplish what He as spoken.
The importance of people trusting and acting God’s promise is an overarching theme of the Patriarchs of Genesis – Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and even Joseph. God’s promise kick-starts each of their stories. Their response to God’s promise is a decisive ingredient for success. The New Testament writers regularly lift up Abraham as an example of faith, faithfulness, and trust in God’s promise. Paul writes, “Yet he [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.” (Romans 4:20-21 NIV)
“True faith is essentially reasonable because it trusts in the character and the promises of God. A believing Christian is one whose mind reflects and rests on these certitudes.” (John R.W. Stott)
The Psalmist enlightens us as to the reasons the Israelis of Exodus were unable to enter the Promised Land. Guess what makes the list? “They did not believe His promise” (Psalm 106:24b NIV) The great reformer Martin Luther pondered, “What greater rebellion, impiety, or insult to God can there be than not to believe His promises?”
I don’t want to insult God. I bet you don’t either! God doesn’t lie. It’s time for us to trust His promises.
