It used to be said that a handshake was as good as your word. And your word was as good as any contract. We could depend on what a person said and that they would fulfill their promises.
I remember a time when I was a child that my father had promised to take me to a professional football game. When the time came, he was drunk. My mother wouldn’t let him take me. But I raised such a fuss that she relented. It was a bad decision on everybody’s part, but the promise was kept. We made it to the game and back, but not without some scary moments.
Should we believe the promises that are made today? Will merchants back up their products and services? Do parents still fulfill the promises they give to their children? Do our leaders make good on their promises?
Maybe the answer to these questions is most of the time, or perhaps some of the time. We have a place where we can go and find promises that will be fulfilled all the time. God is faithful to every one of His promises. He cannot deny His own character. The great thing is that we know that He is good and He is able to fulfill His promises.
So what should be our response to His promises? Romans 4:20-21 speaks about Abraham when it says, “No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” Not only should we believe that God will do what He promised, but we should act on these promises by faith in His faithfulness and power.
Reluctant Retiree 