Promises!

Promises! They’re not always easy to keep. I suspect that each of us has been let down by someone who made a promise to us. Perhaps we have even let down others to whom we have made a promise!

The Bible portrays a God Who always keeps His promises. In the Old Testament (the Jewish Scriptures), we read that He promised a man named Abraham that, although old and childless, he would be the father of a great nation. That promise was kept – through Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve tribes of Israel.

A young man named Solomon became king. In a dream, God asked him to name whatever he wanted. He asked for understanding and wisdom to rule Israel well. God was pleased with that response (I wonder how pleased He would be with the answers that you and I might give?!). He gave Solomon wisdom – and promised that He would give the young king all the things that he might have been expected to ask for, as well. And God kept His promise. The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s wisdom, and wealth, and travelled a long distance to visit him. Her verdict is recorded for us: “... she said to the king, "The report was true which I heard in my own land of your affairs and of your wisdom, but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it; and, behold, the half was not told me; your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report which I heard.” (I Kings 10:6-7).

By Sunday, millions of people around the world will have celebrated Easter – arguably the most important festival in the Christian calendar. They will have remembered Good Friday (“good” because, according to the Christian Gospel, Jesus of Nazareth, known to His followers as the Christ, was paying the price for all of our breaking of God’s commandments) and Easter Day.

And on that very first Easter Day, some women went to the tomb to complete the task of embalming the body with spices. To their utter astonishment, there was no body to be found! What they did discover was an angelic being who told them: “He is not here; for He has risen, as He said.” (Matt 28:6). “He has risen – as He promised”! Once again, God had kept His promise.

It is my conviction that God still keeps His promises. Many will be aware of that best-known of New Testament verses – John 3:16. But John continues: “Whoever trusts in Him is not condemned; whoever does not trust is condemned already, because they have not trusted in the Name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:18). And I believe that God keeps both of those promises!

Easter is not just an excuse for hot-cross-buns, and chocolate eggs. It’s the anniversary of what Christians believe was the greatest victory in all of history – when God, in Jesus, broke the devil’s claim on you and me, enabling us to be at one with Him, and to have His life within us – a heart transplant, with no fear of rejection!

Is a promise an assurance?

In this morning's Today programme, on BBC Radio 4, there was an interview with a journalist who had been covering the trial of Dr Conrad Murray, accused of the involuntary manslaughter of the pop star, Michael Jackson.  She was asked about the scene when the "Guilty" verdict was announced to the waiting crowds.  This lady was obviously very excited, and repeated the words "I promise you".  However, she was using those words as a means of assuring listeners that she was telling the truth!

I have always understood that a promise applied to a future event - "I promise that I will meet you at such-and-such a place"; while an assurance applied to something in the past - "I assure you that the man bit the dog!"  It is, of course (and regretfully!) a typical USA corruption of the English language, that allows the two concepts to be thus confused.

In my private devotions, this morning, I was reading in John 14. In that chapter, John records these words of the Lord Jesus: "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also." (vs.2-3)

That's a wonderful promise for the disciple of Jesus!  It's something that points to the future.  However, because it is fixed in eternity - which is timeless, with neither past nor future - then it is also an assurance!  In eternity, in that dimension that we call 'heaven', the promise is already kept.  It's a mind-blowing concept, but I am totally convinced that it is gloriously true!

Of course, that promise only applies to His own - those who have placed their trust in Him, and Him alone, for their salvation.  But for them, it is not only a promise, but also a wonderful assurance.

Aid, vaccinations, and promises.

Unlike some, I applaud the Prime Minister for his brave move in committing the U.K. to providing £814 million to provide vaccinations for children in some of the poorest of the world's developing countries.  He was obviously aware that his announcement would be unacceptable to the "charity begins at home" brigade, but he went ahead and did the honourable thing. 

His very words were telling.  "I think there is a strong moral case for keeping our promises to the world's poorest and helping them, even when we face challenges at home." he said.  "When you make a promise to the poorest children in the world, you should keep it."

However, I do hope that Mr Cameron will quickly realise that, when one makes a promise to anyone, there is a strong moral case for doing all in one's power to keep it.  On that basis, I look forward to his announcement that, after all of the pre-General Election blustering about a referendum on our continuing membership of the dysfunctional gravy-train that is known as the European Union, and that costs us almost £50 million EVERY DAY (not including euro-zone bail-outs), one will be announced in the next Queen's Speech.

Mind you, I'm not holding my breath!