A Present Help — Hold on to God’s Promise
From the beginning, God’s word and promises have been the bedrock of faith. These promises of God are the basis for a lifestyle of victory and strength during the trials and tests of life. We need hold on to the promises of God in our mind and spirit. Keep reminding yourself that God will do exactly what He said He would do. God’s word and promise is the source of our strength and the foundation of our faith. Many times in life, our faith in God’s promises will be challenged by the numbers of things that we face. At times because of the impact of those challenges, it may appear that God’s promises have failed, but God is faithful to His promise. Paul instructed the Corinthian believers about the certainty of God’s promises.
2 Corinthians 1:20 NKJV For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
All of God’s promises are guaranteed and confirmed in Christ. Everything that God has promised will come to pass.
When Israel entered into the land which God had sworn to give to their fathers, the Lord gave them rest and all of their enemies were delivered into their hand.
Joshua 21:45 NKJV Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.
You need to hear that not one word of God’s promise failed.
Timothy, the Apostle Paul’s son in the faith, was being challenged in such a way that his faith was wavering.
Some of Timothy’s contemporaries had made a shipwreck of their faith. The difficulties of life brought Timothy to the brink of following their bad example.
1 Timothy 1:18–19 NKJV This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience…
Individually, we must hold on in faith to God’s promise. Don’t allow the trial or test of your life to challenge your faith or your memory of God’s faithfulness. Paul kept reminding Timothy of the things that God had promised and given to him.
1 Timothy 4:14 NKJV Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.
1 Timothy 4:15 NKJV Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.
It is crucial for each of us to keep reminding ourselves of what God has promised and hold fast to what He has said.
Hold on to God’s promise.
This is critical for everyone who is facing the test and trial of their faith.
Keep rehearsing the promises that God has made. Some of those promises have been given to everyone that has faith in God and some of them are specific to who you are, where you are, and what you are doing. These promises come to us in varied ways. However you came to know that promise, you need to firmly hold on to it. All of God’s promises are true and reliable. You need to renew those promises by meditating on them and giving yourself entirely to them. Paul’s encouragement is good for each of us.
Meditate on these things.
Do you remember how God made His promise real to you? Get back to what God said and hold firmly to it. Give yourself entirely to what God has said. Don’t just think about God’s promise, give yourself entirely to them. It is easy to do this when you first receive that inspiration or promise from God. At that moment, you sensed an anointing and inspiration that God would do it and you believed that nothing could hinder what God had said.
Giving yourself entirely to His promise means getting out of the boat and walking on the water to Jesus.
Jesus said “Come,” and you jumped out of the boat and started walking on the water. Once you start, you have to keep waging a good warfare of faith. You started in faith and you must continue to persevere in faith.
When Peter stepped out of the boat, his progress was evident to everyone in the boat.
Do you remember telling someone, “God gave me this promise?” Did you tell them, “He told me to come.”
Having started in faith, don’t waver as time passes.
This is critical for continued success. The Word of God is sound doctrine for your life. You can live by every Word of God’s promise. We must persevere in holding ourselves to the word of His promise.
Moses was having his first encounter with God while standing on holy ground at the burning bush.
God was telling him why He came down to meet with him. Moses was receiving an assignment that would occupy the remainder of his life. God told Moses how he would deliver millions of people into God’s purpose and plan. Moses was feeling incapable and inadequate for the task. He told the Lord, “Suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice,” (Exodus 4:1). God asked him, “What is that in your hand?” Moses said, “A rod.” God told him to cast it to the ground and it became a serpent. Moses was still not convinced. God said, “Put your hand in your bosom and pull it out, and his hand was leprous, like snow.” God said “Put it back in your bosom and pull it out and it was restored.” God continued giving him signs of what He would do, but Moses was not convinced.
Exodus 4:12 NKJV God said: “Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”
When Moses received this word from God, he said, “Please, send someone else to do it.” Sometimes we don’t see how we can do what God has promised. Moses thought he was just telling God, “I am too weak, too little, and not able to do it.” What he was really saying was: “God, you are not able to do what you said you would do in me.”
Several years later after God had brought them through the Red Sea, Moses had another conversation with God.
It was obvious that Moses saw God’s handiwork all along his journey and in the wilderness. Moses knew that it was God who delivered them from Egypt and brought them across the Red Sea. Because the journey had been so great and the challenge was so overwhelming, Moses needed some new assurances from God.
Listen to this.
Exodus 33:12 NKJV Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’
Exodus 33:13–14 NKJV Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” 14And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Moses was doing what so many other people try to do.
You need to remember that God is a present help and you can hold on to God’s promise.
God’s promise was: “You go and I will be with your mouth and teach you what to say.” (Exodus 4:12) Moses had already witnessed the power and might of God’s deliverance.
When you are living in the favor of His presence, you need to hold on to God’s promise.
You need to remember what God has done. Moses knew he got where he was because God had brought him through.
Remember all of the things God has done for you.
It is hard for us to look at Moses’ experience and see why he needed more.
He had been to the burning bush, stood on holy ground and heard the voice of God. He had stood under the pillar of fire and the pillar of a cloud in the presence of God. God had opened up the Red Sea and Moses and Israel crossed over on dry ground. The glory cloud and fire of God had descended on Mount Sinai and God called Moses to come up into the cloud of His glory. He had heard the voice of God that shook his mind and body and the mountain. In order to go forward, Moses needed more.
Moses was no different than Peter walking on the water.
Peter was standing on the water in Jesus’ presence, but the water was raging all around them. The circumstances with the wind blowing and water raging was no different than when he first stepped out of the boat. While in the turbulence of the wind and water, Peter needed more from Jesus.
Moses is standing there in the presence of God and needed more.
I am glad that God is patient and kind, and knows our frame.
God wants us to remember some things.
How did you get here? How did you win those battles in your past? How did you gain those successes? Why are you still standing?
Moses came to realize, “I didn’t get here on my own.” “I need the Lord, if I am going to make it.” “I need the Lord, if I am going to survive.” He did some awesome things with God’s help. Moses, Peter, and thousands of others made it because they held on to God’s promise.
In the favor of God’s presence, we need to continue living by the promises.
God told Moses: “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
You are not going alone into the things you are facing. You can find the strength that you are going to need, because God is going with you.
