You Can Count On It

You Can Count on It 1/13/04

Romans 4:20-21

A promise is a promise. I’ve heard that all my life and yet it seems to be less and less convincing. Any more when someone tells you that they will do something, it’s not written in stone.

We will tell our kids something to pacify them for the moment then never follow up with our promise.

If I had a nickel for every time that someone told me that they would be at church that Sunday, only to never show up, I could buy us all diner.

I can remember the time that a man’s word and a firm handshake would secure a deal. Now days you need lawyers and to be written in blood and even then it’s not certain.

I think sometimes there is no malice intended. Sometimes people have the best intentions to do something. They say they will do it. They want to do it. But when it comes down to it. It never gets done.

How many times has someone ever asked you to pray for some thing and you said you would, but then you forget? I’ve had to learn to stop and pray right then or else I get busy and forget. That’s why we have slips of paper to fill out prayer request for people like me who are not only loosing their hair but their memory as well.

Some people have such a good heart that they say they will do something and then they never are able to because they promised everyone else the same thing. They’re simply not able to do everything they said they would.

This morning I’m not going to be preaching on keeping your word or about procrastination, so don’t turn me off yet. I’m sure we have all been guilty of that. What I want to talk to you about this morning is someone who always keeps His word. When He says something it is written in stone (some times literally). I’m talking about God.

And as our text says in verse 21, “what He promised He was also able to perform”.

Let’s look at a few of God’s promises knowing that our Almighty God is able to keep His word and do what He says.

Peace

John 14:27, Peace I leave you, My peace I give you;

God promised us peace. I think about a little baby nestled in their mother’s arms. The peace they feel. No worries about the world around them; No cares about someone hurting them because they are in the protection of their mother’s arms.

This is the same peace that we can have in our Heavenly Father. We can have peace that He is in control.

The rest of the verse says it all. “not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”.

You can rest in His arms and feel His sweet peace.

Promised us Power

2 Corinthians 12:9, And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.

We have access to His power. The Bible tells us that if we have the faith of a grain of mustard seed that we can move a mountain. We have the power but often we don’t turn on the switch.

This reminds me of a story I heard about a lady when electricity first started coming into houses in the early 1900’s. This lady was the first in her area to get electricity inside her home. When the installers came to check on the house they discovered very little usage. They knocked on the lady’s door and asked her how she liked her electricity. She said she loved it. They asked her if there were any reason why there was so little usage. She stated that she used it everyday. She would turn on the light and light her lanterns and then turn it off.

Like this lady, we to have the power, we just need to turn it on.

To never leave us nor forsake us

Hebrews 13:5, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.

Have you ever felt like you’re alone? I’m not talking about the alone that you long for of just a few hours to yourself. I’m talking about the alone that you feel when you feel like you have no friends or anyone who cares about you.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that God is always there? He doesn’t leave you when things get tough. He doesn’t leave you when you betray Him or do Him wrong. He is the only one you can count on and the only one who is always there for you.

To supply our needs

Philippians 4:19, But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.