Promise Keeper

"God 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)

My husband, Jordan, and I got married at the age of 20 on March 3, 2003. I promised him that I would love him, stand by his side in the good times and in the bad, and I promised him that I would be faithful. He took me at my word and I took him at his because we trusted each other...until we couldn't.

A year into our marriage I learned about his pornography addiction and his infidelity. We chose to stick it out and make it work, but I didn't trust him anymore and out of spite, three years later I was unfaithful to him.

After our infidelity, our view of one another became jaded. We were always questioning (internally and externally) whether the other was being honest and faithful. Our word became void and this perspective spilled onto the relationships around me. I questioned everyone because the closest person to me had hurt me, so why would this stranger keep their word? I walked around in a world where a vow meant nothing and a person’s word meant nothing and I looked at Jesus the same way.

I would read the Bible because I was supposed to but I didn't believe He would be that person I read about, to me personally. I would come across promises and think, "I don't believe that He would do that for me." I believed a lie about Jesus that altered my perspective of who He is and who I am because of what He did for me. I didn't trust my own word, so why would I trust His?

 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”

The man took Jesus at his word and departed. - John 4:50 (NIV)

In this story, a man came to Jesus asking Him to come and heal his son, who was dying. His son didn't have a cold, his son didn't break an arm – his son was dying and the father traveled over 20 miles to find Jesus and ask Him for help because he heard Jesus does miracles like this. When the man asked, Jesus didn't leave with him. All He said was, “Go. Your son will live.”

And the guy took Jesus at His word and departed!

I’m sorry, but I don’t think I would have been cool with that answer. Um, I don’t think you heard me Jesus, I traveled by donkey over 20 miles, I need you to come to me and lay your hands on him like you did for all those other people and heal my son! You need to do this for me.

What kind of faith did this guy have to take Jesus at His word? They didn't know each other. They weren't buds or family. However, this guy trusted Jesus with the very life of his child. That is some serious faith.

I’m kind of a word nerd so I had to look up the meaning of “took” and “word” in my concordance because those words must have meant something we don’t understand in our English language.

Took (pisteuo) - to believe, put one's faith in, trust, with an implication that actions based on that trust may follow.

Word (logos) - word spoken or written, often with a focus on the content of a communication.

So, when Jesus told the man, “Go. Your son will live,” this man put his faith and trust in Jesus’ words and actions that would come from those words. The man trusted that Jesus’ words of life would produce that promise. He took Him at His word and that father’s faith could have been as small as a mustard seed, but that father saw a mountain and went to the One who could make that mountain move, and it did. 

We can all be guilty of reading through the Bible and not taking Jesus at His word. Often times it’s because we are comparing His trustworthiness with the people who have hurt us. The difference between the word of man and God is that His words are alive and active (Hebrews 4:12) ours are temporal (while many times well intentioned, still temporal). Our promises fall short, our promises can fail and let people down, but Jesus’ words never do. When He says something He means it. If He promises something He does it. He doesn't make empty promises to trick us into believing in Him. He makes promises so we have something firm to stand on when life around us looks completely opposite from His truth. If God said it, He will do it. It may not come in our timing but He isn’t a liar. 

Number 23:19 says, “God 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?”

Maybe He has made you promises for your future that you have yet to see with your eyes and you are getting tired of waiting. You feel like God forgot about you or He didn’t keep His promise. Maybe you feel defeated and lost. 

Let me remind you, He is not a God who is inactive on your behalf; He is doing things we can’t see. He is preparing us for a better door. He is preparing a better opportunity. He is not a God who should lie. Even if all of the people in your life have let you down, not kept their word, lied or hurt you, God won’t.

What would our lives look like if we took Him at His word? How differently would we approach challenges? When we are faced with opposition what would our response be? When we have to wait longer than we think we should, what would our perspective be? While you read the Bible begin to accept the promises He is making to you. Don’t read them through the lens of human hurt. Read them from the heart of the Creator of the heavens and Earth, who knows all, sees all, and holds your world in the palm of His hand. Read them, believe, and know that when you take Him at His word, the actions that will follow will be miraculous.

LUNCH & LEARN || 03.31.17 

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Created Woman is hosting a Lunch & Learn on March 31st, 2017 at the Mission Capital offices in the Learning Lab for women who love all things fashion and faith. During our time together, I'll be sharing the vision, where we are going and then we will break into different groups as team members share on different programs and outreach opportunities with a time for Q & A.