Power of His Promises

Power of His Promises

“By faith our fathers roamed the earth

With the power of His promise in their hearts.”

         Aye! Verily those promises are powerful with the wisdom, kindness, and Presence of God Himself standing behind them. In Minnie's last talk to the ladies at the Bible church in Washington State on “Jehovah Shalom” she explained how God sustained her through her ordeal: “The Word, the Word, the Promises!”

          And what are some of those thousand or more promises that are so powerful and sustaining in our hearts and in the external world of God's providence? For Minnie God flooded her heart with the reality of this promise:

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you . . . Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 She was so aware of His Presence with her—through it all. “All is well!” she knew.

         And that the completion of the journey would “lead to a joyful end” with Jesus' promise to come for her Himself personally when the time came “. . .I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” John 14:3 esv “Absent from the body . . . present with the Lord.” 2 Cor. 5:8

        And what are the promises in my life that sustained me as I “roamed the earth”? Here are a few of the many:

Romans 10:9-13 (ESV) “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. . . . For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

          1 Cor. 10:13 (ESV) ^“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

        Psalm 27:14 (KJV) ^“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”

2 Cor. 4:16 NIV “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

       How about you? What are some of your favorite promises that God has used in your life? Click on Reply and share them with us. They will encourage others.

Dying Slowly

        She knew what was happening. Three years of struggling with pancreatic cancer through surgery, chemo, and radiation had taken their toll. She wrote in her journal, "This is something that I had to face head on. We will all be faced with death as God did not create us to live on this earth forever. . . . Some of us know we are dying sooner rather than later. Others die with no warning. I have had a lot of time to think about death and dying. I know that Jesus will come for me and take me to heaven where I will be reunited with family members who have gone before. . . ."
        "Thinking of leaving those I love is painful, but I have to trust the Lord to be their comfort and to take care of them. It is wonderful that the Lord gave us memories so we can think back as promises that help us think ahead.  If we know the Lord Jesus, we will be together in Heaven."
         "I made a decision that I did not want a funeral mourning my death-but memorial services to celebrate my life and all the Lord has done for me. I know my loved ones will mourn, but I hope it will not be as the world mourns-but as people with confidence that their Mimi is in Heaven with the Lord."
          Facing death, Minnie had a tranquility of the soul, not dependent upon her doleful outward circumstances but on her inner strength from God. She told many people who came to talk to her that she had perfect peace within her heart. And she knew where that peace came from. She wrote, "May my family remember that my strength was from the Lord. . . . May the God of all comfort be our comfort. Let's be grateful for all the good years together."
          To the very end she wanted to comfort her family and reassure them that all was well. She wrote, "I hope my family will remember that I loved each one of them with all of my heart. . . . The oncologist was clear that medically, nothing else can be done. So I am where I have always been-in God's hands. . . ."
        Three things marked my wife's encounter with death: 1) looking to the Lord for strength and finding it there; 2) taking the perspective of eternity, confident that the promises of scripture were true. Two years ago I heard her pray, "Thank you, Lord, for 70 years of good health, strength, and energy. And 3) living life one day at a time, seeking the simple things in life she could be thankful for in spite of nausea, weakness and pain. There were times of respite and enjoyment and pleasurable conversation as her struggles brought us even closer together. She never stopped being thankful. One of the last things we heard her say was, "God has given me so much happiness!"
                                                                              -Minnie Burnside