Time In A Promise Book

Up at 3am. Got out of bed at 3:30am. Prayer and promises... a good way to start the day...

I like how David Wilkerson organized 'The Jesus Person Pocket Promise Book'. He breaks the book into three sections.
- God's Promises for your Spiritual Needs
- God's Promises for your Personal Needs
- God's Promises for your Future Needs

Then he has Key verses with supporting passages for a list of topics in each section. It is very well done.

I think I am going to incorporate a study of God's names in the Hebrew and Greek into my promise book study. God's character is intertwined with his commitment. One hinges on the other. His commitments show something about His character and His attributes (names) prove that He is capable of keeping His commitments.

"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God." - Psalm 20:7 KJV

"Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth." - Psalm 124:8 KJV

I also like the idea of knowing the context of the promise. Who is speaking? Who is the speaker addressing? I don't what to quote Job's friends and say that God is speaking when God says Job's friends have wrong ideas. (see Job 42:7)

On the other hand, we can quote passages that are in the scriptures and say, 'God dealt with this person in a certain way...' and then make the claim that God may very well deal with us in the same way as long as it is in the context of grace.

God clearly deals with corporate entities (Isreal, the Church, foreign nations, etc..) differently than He does with a person. I think it is a mistake sometimes to quote a passage directed at Israel or the Church and claim that it is a personal promise or provision. The Church is not Israel and we are not structures with a mission statement. We are sons and daughters and God has mercy for us that He does not have for groups per se. A King deals differently with His child than He does with a foreign nation and with good reason.

Grace isn't for good people or nations. It is for God's people. It is for heirs. The Gospel is a grace initiation to an individual. Salvation then puts people in a place to receive grace. God's holiness and justice are going to be seen clearly by all. If salvation hasn't placed us as individuals into God's kingdom then mercy is going to be far removed from a person's experience. God has promises about that also.

"He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail." - 1 Samuel 2:9 ESV

'Ouch.' But also 'Praise God'. He is just. He is gracious. He is precise. He communicates is a way we can understand if we incline our ear to hear.

Thank You God for Your wonderful book. Thank You for your lasting commitments. You are the Alpha and Omega. You will be around to see every promise fulfilled. You have the power. You are The faithful and True One. We worship You for who You are and Thank You for all that You have done and will do.

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