There are many promises in the Bible. All of these promises are real and can be enjoyed by every saint.
Our God is very powerful and rich. In the stories in the Bible, we see how God worked for His children and stretched forth His mighty arm to save, protect, and guide.
God never changes, and the words of His promises never change. Both God and His promises stand forever. After considering all the work that God has done in the past, we realize that all of His promises in the present are faithful. All the promises in the Bible rest on God’s power, love, and faithfulness. If God can change, His promises in the Bible can cease. But if God does not change (thank and praise Him that He never changes), the promises in the Bible will stand forever.
The present error of the saints is that not many of them expect God to do something for them. Many people think that the age of miracles is over. But the Bible is a book for this age. Since it is for this age, the miracles recorded in the Bible are not merely past events. Many young believers, influenced by the unbelieving environment around them, consider that miracles were only possible and only occurred during biblical times; consequently, they no longer expect to see miracles today. The only reason we think this way is because of a lack of faith. We have to realize that all the miracles in the Bible can be repeated today. The most important issue, however, is the believers’ faith.
Many people are not inattentive to the question of faith. They talk about faith very much and say with their mouth that they believe. But the most important question is how they believe.
Faith is something that can be put into practice. The reality of faith can only be proved by practice. Faith is not something obscure, but something practical. We should not merely talk about faith with our mouth. We should put our faith into practice. Faith is not merely a spiritual term. It is “the substantiation of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). Faith is a substantiation. It is a conviction. Faith is truly a practical expression of the Christian life.
We speak about faith and say that man ought to have faith in God. But how should one have faith? We have faith in God through the daily things around us. What is faith? Faith is a heart that believes in God through ordinary circumstances. Faith is not abstract; it can be practical.
If we have faith in God, we should not just believe in Him when we encounter extraordinary events and face impossible tasks or absolute perils. This is the way the Gentiles take. It is not the way God’s children should take. Not only should we know God as our sovereign Lord, but we should know Him like children know their father. We are constantly under His care and protection. The powers of the heavens are behind us and backing us up so that in all things we can overcome through the divine power.
Faith needs to be put into practice. But where should it be put into practice? Surely it should be practiced in difficult and perilous circumstances. However, even during ordinary times, we should put faith into practice. If God’s children cannot commit their bodies to God when they are sick, who will believe that they have faith? If believers cannot trust in God for their material riches, can their faith be found? If believers cannot trust in God’s arrangement concerning their occupations, can their professed faith help them? If believers cannot trust in God for problems arising in their families, what use is their faith to them? If believers cannot trust in God in their work to save the sinners, but instead exercise their own strength and other worldly methods, what kind of faith do they have? Faith is something that has to be practiced. Faith can be applied. We can apply all of God’s promises to us through faith and make the promises manifest in us.
God promises that He is Jehovah-Ropheka (Heb.); He is our Healer (Exo. 15:26). If this is so, why are the believers’ medical bills not reduced? Many people say that they are not trusting in their doctors and that they are really trusting in God to heal their sicknesses through medicine. But this is a question of the heart. In our heart, who do we trust? The best test is to ask: if we really have faith, would we be willing to trust solely in God without medicine? If we cannot, I am afraid it is not realistic for us to say that we trust in God in spite of the medicine. If we cannot trust in God without medicine, we cannot trust in Him with medicine. Many times in our sicknesses, we have not thought about God and sought healing apart from God. Even if medicine is not harmful in itself, it is harmful to man in this respect. If we cannot trust in God in our sicknesses, when will we trust in God?
Many people do not dare give up their present position for the Lord’s sake. They are afraid that if they give up their position, they will not be able to secure another position. Is the hand of Jehovah so short and the Most High God not able to plan for you? Many faithful children of God have tried God in this matter and realized that He is trustworthy.
Money is another big issue. The biblical teaching is that believers should not be in debt (Rom. 13:8). But how many times have men put themselves under debt at perilous times? If we have faith in God, practical faith, how can we do something that is contrary to scriptural teaching? Why are we unable to wait quietly for God to open up a way for us? If God is the God who feeds the sparrow and cares for the lilies, can He not take care of our food and clothing? If He cared for millions of Israelites in the wilderness and provided warmth and food for them in desperate circumstances, can He not care for us? Are there no more manna and quails today? In reality, God’s ravens are flying everywhere. The real problem is that the saints are either in their fat years or their lean years and have not looked to God. Therefore, they do not see God’s work. We should either not mention faith at all or put into practice the faith that we mention.
A family encounters numerous problems and difficulties! Yet how many saints trust in God for their family affairs? If, as Job said, “When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble?” (Job 34:29), why would we not trust in God? How many times has a saint come to God by faith through prayer to commit his family affairs to Him?
If we truly believe in God, why are we so fearful and lost in difficult and dangerous situations? Is not our Lord the Lord of all things? If the universe operates according to His command, will He not have a way to deliver us?
If we examine our daily lives, we will find out how much faith we have! Empty professions of faith will not help us at all. Faith is manifested in the small things in our daily lives.
The Bible is full of promises. For every matter, there are promises in the Bible which guarantee that God will work for us. As long as we have faith, God will work for us.