Consider all the promises God made to Abraham and to the Jewish nation.  When Abraham was in Haran God told him to depart to a Promised Land, the land of Canaan.  We see God promising Abraham a son in his old age, Isaac the child of Promise.  In Galatians St. Paul refers to Abraham receiving the blessing, the Promised Spirit.  Finally in the letter to the Hebrews, the author expresses for the Jewish people a Promised rest like the seventh day rest of God when the work of creation was completed.  In all these instances faith is based on a promise.  It was because Abraham was in a spiritual place to hear the promises and believe that he becomes for us the father of faith.

            The bible is full of promises.  If we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in our heart that he was raised from the dead we shall be saved.  It is a promise of eternal life.  In Romans eight thirty-two we see St. Paul telling us that since God did not spare his own Son, He surely will freely give us all things.  It is a promise of complete protection and provision.  There are promises of health, prosperity, forgiveness of sin, the reception of the Holy Spirit, abundance, freedom, peace, love, joy…so many promises.  From what we learn from Abraham is that our faith is based on promises and when we are in the right spiritual condition to hear from God, we will receive those promises if we believe. 

            It is important to for us to acquaint ourselves with scripture because all scripture is inspired for doctrine, correction, and instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be thoroughly furnished unto every good work.  It is also important to establish a sound spiritual life spending time in stillness and silence, communing with nature and the word of God.  We also make progress when we live a life of charity and being generous.  By doing these things we dispose ourselves to the still small voice of God and God can impart to us a word of promise that we can latch on to by faith and respond accordingly.

            God’s promises are conditional.  We must be in the right spiritual place to hear the promise.  We must have the faith to receive and accept the promise and we must have the patience to wait for its fulfillment.  The word of God must be mingled with faith.  The more we know the word, the better the chances are for us to receive its promises.  We must have the faith of Abraham, the father of our faith, to come into the blessing of God and enter a place of rest.

            Our faith is based on promises.  Be people of faith.  Be people of the Promise.

Amen