Trusting in the Promises of God

All throughout scripture we see that God is a faithful, promise-keeping God who calls His people to live trusting in the promises of God.

The promises of God are one of those things that always bring up so many questions in my mind. As I look into the Old Testament, I can see so clearly how God made promises to His people and was always so very faithful to keep them. There is no doubt that He is a promise-keeping God when you look at stories like the life of Abraham or the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. But as I look at God’s Word and how it applies to me today, how do I know which promises actually apply to me as a believer in Christ? How can I trust in His promises in my daily life?

These are big questions to answer here, but my aim is to get you started in thinking through this because it is SO worth the effort. The promises of God are so rich, so comforting, and develop such hope and perseverance in the life of a believer. The Bible is covered in these promises- they are the very reason we come to faith as we are promised forgiveness of our sins (1 John 1:9), eternal life with God (Romans 6:23), the Holy Spirit to live within us (Romans 8:10), and on and on we could go! But these truths aren’t just for when we first trust in Christ, they are promises for us to cling to as we live a life connected to Christ. We need these truths to wash over us as we live each day trusting in the promises God has given us in His Word. 2 Peter 1:3-4 says:

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.“

By His divine power, God promises to give us all that we need to live a life of godliness as we come to know Him in all His glorious excellency and splendor. He grants us His precious and very great promises as His children who He has called to Himself. What an incredible blessing we have as His children to have the Word of God packed with promises we can cling to, pray over, and live by as we trust in Him each day.

But what are some of these promises and how do we go about trusting in the promises of God that He has richly given us in His Word? How do we know which ones apply to us?

The Promises of God are all about God, not us!

The first thing I want to point out is that the promises of God are all about God, not us. Psalm 145:13 says: “The Lord is trustworthy in all his promises and faithful in all he does.” As we grow to understand who God is, we will understand His character, His goodness, and His power. Trusting in the promises of God starts with trusting God for who He says He is. As we begin to trust Him in His character and attributes, we see His incredible power translating into His actions. It is then that we can praise Him for who He is and trust in the promises He gives to us.

As we trust God for being a faithful, good, powerful God, we can lean on Him to do what He says He is going to do. Tom Yeakley says it well in his book “Praying Over God’s Promises” when he says:

“The promises of God are trustworthy because they are founded upon the character and power of God Almighty.”

Tom Yeakley, Praying Over God’s Promises

The consistent, faithfulness of God’s character causes us to be confident in the promises God gives to us. And as He faithfully does what He says He’s going to do, HE gets the glory and praise for all that He does.

Related: Biblical Truths to Dwell on During a Pandemic

How do we know which promises apply to us as believers in Christ?

It is very easy to take a verse out of context to apply to our lives, or to apply something written for others in a different context to ourselves when it really doesn’t apply to us at all. We must humbly come before God’s Word, study it to understand what it is saying, and then think about if it applies to our lives. This is a big topic to answer here, but here are a few key principles that I use to discern which promises in scripture apply to me:

• Make sure you are correctly interpreting the passage. Look at the historical background: Who was it written to? What is the context in which it was written? What is happening in the passages surrounding it?
• Search for biblical principles from the passage. What do we learn about God from the passage? Are there general moral, spiritual, or doctrinal principles that are clear in the passage? What do other passages in the Bible say about this similar topic?
• Apply it to your life after looking at these things. After considering the background, original context, and meaning of the passage, then I can look at how it may apply to my life. This takes prayer as we ask God for discernment and understanding.
• Discuss it with godly counsel. If you’re still unsure or it’s not clear, talk to others you trust who will uphold the Word of God and dive into it alongside you.

What are some of the promises of God?:
30 Promises of God to Meditate on

There are SO many promises that God gives us in His Word. We would be here all day if we listed them all, but here are some by different topics to get you started!

Salvation
“And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:11-12

Forgiveness of Sin
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

New Creation in Christ
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

The Holy Spirit Within Us
“But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:10-11

Faith
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Children of God
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” John 1:12

Answered Prayer
“Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:24

Victory Against Temptation
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

Love and Care of God
“but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Trustworthiness of God
“The Lord is trustworthy in all his promises and faithful in all he does.” Psalm 145:13

Mercy of God
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

Goodness of God
“The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.” Psalm 145:9

The Sovereign Power of God
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16-17

Guidance
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Peace
“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

His Presence With Us
“fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Comfort
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Protection
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

Power of God
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

To Grow in Christ-Likeness
“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:29

To Bear Fruit
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Blessing of Meditating on His Word
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3

Hope and Perseverance
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5

God is Working for our Good and His Glory and Purpose
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,^[h] for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

His Power in Our Weakness
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

Power of God’s Word
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

Authority of God’s Word
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The Blessing of All Nations
“And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:2-3

The Gospel to All Nations
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14

New Heaven and New Earth – Dwell with God for Eternity
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

What do we do with these promises?:
Praying the Promises of God

As you can see, there are SO many promises that God gives to His children in the Bible. Most of these are huge promises and it can sometimes be hard to trust God that He is who He says He is, or that He will do what He promises He will do. Our hearts are sinful and struggle to trust in God’s faithful goodness. Amidst our struggle to always see how these promises are going to come to pass, we can trust and know that God is at work because of who He says He is. Here are some helpful ideas for how to trust in the promises of God:

• Memorize and meditate on scripture! Remind yourself of these truths, understand what they are really saying, and commit them to memory so that you can remind yourself of these promises in times of need.
• Pray over the promises of God. When you are struggling to trust, pray! Ask God to help you trust, believe, and have faith in His goodness. Pray His promises back to Him, asking Him to do what He says He will do.
• Remind one another of His promises! We need to be pouring these truths into one another’s hearts and minds as we walk alongside each other through life’s up and downs. When your brother or sister in Christ is struggling, remind them of the trustworthiness and nearness of God.
• Continue to seek God whole-heartedly as you wait, pray over, and plead for God to work.

I pray this gets you started in thinking about what it looks like to trust in the promises of God. It isn’t always easy to trust, but I am so thankful we can bring our doubts, struggles, and fears to the Lord and be confident that He hears, cares, and loves us with an unending love!

Want to spend 30 days meditating on and praying over these promises listed above? Here is a free printable for you to use, do with a friend, as a family, or with those you disciple. Enjoy!

*This resource is meant to be shared! If you found it helpful, please share it with family and friends, use it as you disciple your children or others in your life that you are discipling, and continue passing on a love for God and His incredible promises!*