What To Know About God’s Promises.

God’s promises always come to pass. God has a set time for everything, and these verses prove exactly that. Jesus was born of a virgin as the prophets had prophesied and Jesus fulfilled this as the prophets said. Despite the uncertainties, chaos, and plans to sabotage the purpose of God, it still came to pass. In the 400 silent years, the Jews faced another annihilation, and the plan was aborted hence the book of Maccabees ( you can find it in the Catholic Bible)
Isn’t it beautiful to know that there is always an end to something? This is especially encouraging if you have been in a period of intense training and warfare. Knowing that there will be an end to it all gives you the hope to endure. The scripture above is one of the many that talk about God fulfilling His promise. It also shows us that when God’s time comes, nothing can hinder His promise from coming forth. The truth is that you will get to the other side of the fulfillment of your promise.

But when that era ended and the time of fulfillment had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the written law. Yet all of this was so that he would redeem and set free all those held hostage to the written law so that we would receive our freedom and a full legal adoption as his children. Galatians 4:4‭-‬5 TPT

So what are some of the key takeaways from the scripture concerning God’s promises?

God’s promises always come forth.

I know you have heard it mentioned a lot that God fulfills His promise. And while that’s true you might wonder if this applies to you or if you missed the way at some point in time. Maybe the promise is taking so long to manifest and now all you are filled with is doubt. Or worse still, maybe you have become cynical and don’t even believe that God’s promises can come true in your life.

If you fall in the category of wondering if God’s promises can ever come true in your life, I want to encourage you with the story of Zechariah, He was well advanced in years and so was his wife. But God blessed them with a son who was the forerunner of Jesus. His wife Elizabeth was even embarrassed to be in public when she became pregnant because she felt embarrassed of her blessing. Have you ever felt embarrassed of a blessing because it came a little too late? She was ashamed of her pregnancy because of her age. She doubted God would answer her prayer, considering it had taken so long for it to come to pass.

The Shunamite woman was no different. After praying and waiting for so long for a son, she had a hard time believing that God would give her a son. Her unbelief and disappointment were so much that when Elisha told her she would get a son the following year she doubted it. She even went to the extent to tell Elisha not to have her put her hope high for nothing. She did not think it was possible for her.

Is this the case for you? Have you waited for so long that you have lost hope? Does it seem like it will never happen for you? It happened to these, and it will happen to you too. What are you waiting on God for? Will you believe again? God has spoken certain things over your life. And chances are you have some sort of clue what the said promises are. But maybe because your circumstances are contrary to the said promises, you have lost all hope of them ever coming to pass.

Today I want to encourage you by saying that it doesn’t matter how the circumstances are, as long as God has said it, it will come to pass. God says you can trust Him because His promises are yes and Amen. And the best part is that we have seen time and time again the fulfillment of promises repeatedly in the Bible so there is your assurance. God has never failed and He will not start with you. He said it so you can believe it

For those who feel like they have missed their way and don’t think that their promises will come to pass, I have an encouragement for you too. You have not missed it. God says that He works everything out for those who are called for His purposes. And the good news is that God created us all for a purpose. Having that in mind, you can be sure that God’s plan is still underway and you will get to fulfill your purpose on earth. Look at Abraham, one would think that because he went ahead and had Ishmael, God would disqualify him from receiving his promise-Isaac. But that was not the case. God used Abraham despite his mistakes. And the same thing applies to you.

God has a way of getting you back on track, even when you feel you have lost your way. And when He makes a promise to you, He will fulfill it because He is not a man that He should lie. Despite Abraham’s mistake, he became the father of the nations and God grafted all of us into the Jewish lineage that was founded by Abraham. Just imagine that.

Abraham’s mistake did not disqualify him from God’s promise to him. Neither will yours. This just cements God’s sovereignty as it shows that God always has a plan. The same way He had a plan to save humanity way before Adam and Eve sinned. God in His Sovereignty knows your past, present, and future mistakes. This means that He can weave them all together for the fulfillment of His plan and purpose. So stop worrying that you missed your way. Instead, trust that God knows how to get you to the intended destination. You are not too far off for redemption.

God is always on time.

Nothing catches God by surprise. He has a timetable for everything. And that applied to the Birth of Jesus. In our foundation scripture for today, we see that in verse 4, it says that the era came to an end and the time of fulfillment came. So this means that there is a time set for God’s promises over your life to come to pass. Jesus came when the time was right. No wonder Isaiah 60:22 says that when the time is right, God will make it happen.

God always knows the best time for everything. After all, He is the Creator and The All-knowing too. This means that you need to trust God’s timing and If He is making you wait, He has a reason. You might not understand it now, but I promise you when it comes you will understand. So today I want to encourage you to practice patience and endurance as what God has spoken will come to pass when the time comes. The Israelites did not leave Egypt until the set time. In fact, it says so in Exodus 12:41 that they came out on the set day, and not a day earlier. God had established a day for their freedom. And when the day came they were delivered.

The same case applied to the Israelites when they were sent to Babylon as captives. God rescued them after the 70 years were over as it was written in Jeremiah 29:10. This goes to show that the promises are for a set time. In Habakkuk 2:3 God tells Habakkuk that although the vision will tarry, it will surely come to pass because there is a definite time for it.
When the time was right, Joseph became the second in command in Egypt. And as we saw, it was the best time because the Egyptians escaped death from starvation. This also led to Joseph’s brothers being spared too. This leads me to my 3rd point.

God always has a purpose.

God knows the best time to have you walk in the promises He has spoken over you. One thing we need to know is that God’s promises for you are never for you to enjoy alone, but they usually are for a greater purpose. God knew there would be a famine at some time in the future. So He orchestrated everything to have Joseph become 2nd in command at just the right time. In turn, Joseph’s family, his brothers, and his father did not die of hunger.

As we read in Genesis, we see Joseph’s brothers come to live in Egypt and therefore spared from starvation. Whatever God has said to you has a set time and a divine purpose. God had the wise men bring gifts to Jesus which were used to sustain Him and His parents while they were in Egypt.

Isn’t it beautiful to know that God is always one step ahead? That He makes a way and sets up provision when we don’t even expect it? Doesn’t it make it easier to trust Him now? After all, He knows the end from the beginning and His plan is always redemption. Let me encourage you today by telling you that it’s okay to trust God. He has your best intentions at heart. The story of Joseph is an example. Joseph became the 2nd in command. God used this position to preserve the Israelites.

The same applied when Esther became queen. Through her position, she was able to save the Jews from destruction. How amazing is this? God knew that Haman had a plan to destroy the Jews and so He raised Esther for such a time as that. God has a mandate He wants you to fulfill. That’s why He is preserving you and that’s why you are experiencing delays in the fulfillment of your promise.

Zechariah had to wait for a long time to become a father because John had to be born at the right time to prepare the way for the Messiah. As you can see, God’s intention was not to hurt and humiliate Zechariah and Elizabeth by making his wife childless. No, it was because God had a purpose that was needed for Zechariah’s offspring to accomplish, and He knew that Zechariah and Elizabeth were the best candidates to raise John. You are the best candidate to fulfill the purpose God set for you. So God will preserve you at all cost so that you can walk out the purpose He has for you. Don’t worry, it is coming.

Conclusion

God never wants to cause you pain unless there is a purpose behind it. But the beauty is that Him being the God of restoration, He will restore those years you have lost. And when He does, you will remember them no more. That’s why He says that He will exchange your mourning for dancing, your pain for purpose, and your ashes for beauty. Just like the set time for fulfillment came and nothing could hinder God’s promises. So it applies to you. When the time is RIGHT, God will make it happen and no power in hell or on earth will hinder you from walking into what God has for you.

All this is not in vain. It is just preparation so that when the fulfillment comes, you will walk out in the fullness God created you to be. Be excited and expectant because it will happen. God’s word will never go back to Him void until it comes to pass. God’s promises will always come to pass because He is faithful to fulfill what He promises.

The Decree set by Augustus Ceaser led to Jesus being born in Bethlehem as they had prophesied it. So it will happen to you too. Also, when the time comes, everything will happen so fast that you will not believe it. Because that’s how God does it. Wait for it because it is coming. He is the God of the suddenlies and the God of time, too.

13“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,

“when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman
    and the planter by the one treading grapes.
New wine will drip from the mountains
    and flow from all the hills,
¹⁴     and I will bring my people Israel back from exile.^[f]

“They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them.
    They will plant vineyards and drink their wine;
    and they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
¹⁵ I will plant Israel in their own land,
    never again to be uprooted
    from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God. Amos 9