Static Promises

7.9.2011

Hebrews 6:17-18 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. NIV

The writer of Hebrews spoke of things we can really only see by our imagination or accept by faith; he used the word, unchangeable. Nothing in our current world is unchanging. In an age of time and space even the rocks age – that’s change. People go from bad to worse and alternately some go from worse to better. People change, places change. Perspectives change and above and beyond it all everything in our physical universe ages.

But add into that mix the unchangeable nature of God who never ages, never wearies, dulls, dims, or diminishes. Even that truth is so foreign to what we’re used to we really need to stop and think about it – if we even can. But it’s true. And God’s word never loses its impact or import. And God’s promises never fail and there is something powerful and mighty that happens to the person who by faith accepts God’s unchanging word and never-failing promises.

This is so wonderful that it might be easy to adopt an Elijah mentality at this point; to believe that there is no one else out there who really believes this stuff and even if they do, what good is it? Our world is changing and becoming worse and worse. But God’s word is unchanging and His unfailing promises of blessing are for those who accept the degradation of the world and the decay of the societies of men yet faithfully place their hope in God’s promises of a never-ending and glorious future of true friendship, peace, and supreme happiness. And there are many ‘out there’ who have seen the world’s fluid ‘promises’ and have rejected them in favor of God’s static ones.

And so the outcome of all this is encouragement to place all of one’s hope and faith in what God has said and what God has promised despite the realities of a changing world and its fluid promises. It is bad and getting worse, but let’s be encouraged to see God for who He is and to believe that ultimately He will one day put a stop to fluid promises and allow us to see the true fruit of our faith in Him.

Father God,
I am encouraged this morning to not take this world as I want it to be, but to accept it for what it is, and place all of my hope and trust in all that You’ve promised me through Jesus Christ. Amen.