GOD WILL FULFILL HIS PROMISE

1. Every promise is fulfilled.

a) 43So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. 44The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands. 45Not one of all the Lord ’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. (Joshua 21:43-45 NIV)

2. What are the good things God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?

a) 10When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, 12be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. (Deuteronomy 6:10-12 NIV)

b) 10The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. 11But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. 12It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end. (Deuteronomy 11:10-12 NIV)

c) 7The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. 8The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. 9The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him. 10Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you. 11The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you. 12The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. (Deuteronomy 28:7-13 NIV)

3. Is anything too hard for God?

a) 27“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27 NIV)

i) God told Jeremiah to buy a field outside Jerusalem. The city had been under siege for a year, and Jeremiah bought land that the soldiers occupied – certainly a poor investment. In addition, Jeremiah was a prisoner in the palace. But Jeremiah was demonstrating his faith in God’s promises to bring his people back and to rebuild Jerusalem.

ii) Trust doesn’t come easily. It wasn’t easy for Jeremiah to publicly buy land already captured by the enemy. But he trusted God. It isn’t easy for us to believe that God can fulfill his “impossible” promise either, but we must trust him.

iii) After Jeremiah bought the field, he began to wonder if such a move was wise. He sought relief in prayer from his nagging doubts.

iv) God would restore Jerusalem, not because the people cried, but because it was part of his ultimate plan. The Babylonian disaster did not change God’s purposes for his people. Although Jerusalem would be destroyed, it would be restored.

v) God assured Jeremiah that he had only to call God and God would answer.

4. Is the Lord ’s arm too short?

a) 23The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord ’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.” (Numbers 11:23 NIV)

i) The Egyptians who had come with the people of Israel began to long for the good things of Egypt. They long for a few bites of meat! “Oh that we had some of the delicious fish we enjoyed so much in Egypt, and the wonderful cucumbers and melons, leeks, onions, and garlic! But now our strength is gone, and day after day we have to face this manna!”

ii) Then the Lord said to Moses,” Tell them, the Lord heard your tearful complaints about all you left behind in Egypt, and he is going to give you meat. You shall eat it, not just a day or two, or five or ten or even twenty! For one whole month you will have meat until you vomit it from your noses; for you have rejected the Lord who is here among you, and you have wept for Egypt.”

iii) But Moses said,” There are 600,00 men alone, and yet you promise them meat for the whole month! If we butcher all out flocks and herds it won’t be enough! We would have to catch every fish in the ocean to fulfill your promise!”

iv) Then the Lord said to Moses, “ Is the Lord ’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.”

5. God will fulfill his promise.

a) 19God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Numbers 23:19 NIV)

6. Prayer focus

a) What are the good things that God has promised you? Pray for the promises of God in our life so that every thing he has said will come to pass.