Not One Promise Will Ever Fail - The Hope of 1 Kings chapter 8 - Episode #163

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Well hey there, hello to ya today. Hope you are blessed beyond measure (and I actually do mean blessed BEYOND your ability to measure all the blessings from the Lord to you). Today we are continuing to look at a promise from each and every book in the Bible. And we have made it to the book of 1 Kings. (Remember the kids' songs … 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles…that’s all the first and seconds.) 1 Kings is our landing spot today. Sometimes I think of podcasts or Sunday morning sermons or reading a chapter of a Christian book that aims to make me a better disciple of Jesus, I sort of think of them like I’m on a plane headed to my final destination (which is eternity with the Lord, right?) and the plane lands but I don’t disembark, I stay on the plane for a refuel and then take off again for the next leg of this journey home. I hope this podcast is like a bit of a refuel for you, and that you are, as much as possible, enjoying this journey home with the Lord. He’s a trustworthy pilot and I believe He wants you to experience the full depth of His love (even though it is impossible to fully know it, said the apostle Paul) but to know the depth of it as much as possible on this journey home where you get to live out, day by day, the Lord’s unique calling on your life. My prayer is that this refuel blesses you, not because of me, but because of the Lord Jesus and His tremendous love for you. 

You’re listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network, now playing in the Edifi app. This episode is sponsored by the ROAR Virtual Marketing Conference. If you may be interested in speaking or podcasting from a Christian perspective, this conference may be just what you’re looking for. Grab access to the conference at the link above, and make note of the fact that there are paid options as well as a free ticket option. It’s happening soon, in mid-October, so don’t delay! I’ll see ya there! Now, on with the show. This is episode # 163.

1 Kings 8:56 from the Amplified reads this way:

 

Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, in accordance with everything that He promised. Not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He spoke through Moses His servant.

 

These are the words of Solomon during his benediction, which is part of the Scripture portion where he dedicated the newly completed temple. It’s a wonderful chapter, all of 1 Kings 8, and marks a beautiful moment in the history of Israel.

 

This verse seemed like the right one to talk about on the podcast today because it reassures us that the same God who kept His every promise to Israel, in total accordance with everything He promised through Moses, is the same God who keeps His every promise to us. And we know that all God’s promises are yes and amen through Christ Jesus our Lord, as it says in 2 Corinthians 1:20.

 

We can read the Old Testament and discover mountains of hope and assurance…or we can skim read it or skip it altogether and think that there is a vast sea of separation between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament.

But what happens when we choose to believe that God is the same yesterday, today and forever? That there is no shadow of turning with Him? 

How do we think then? And how do we live day by day as a result of that thinking?

 

Can we say, like Solomon did, blessed be the Lord? Can you right now, in this very moment and this exact place in your life, say blessed be the Lord! Helpful hint for ya today: you most certainly can, and you most certainly should. 

Choose to believe that God is going to keep every promise He has made. To you. And as a result of your choice to believe that (even if you don’t feel like it’s true…we don’t all feel it all the time…belief is sort of like love in that it is a continual choice…you are normal if you have to choose to believe today and then choose to believe again tomorrow…) When we choose to believe that God is a perfect keeper of all His promises, then we can say, blessed be the Lord, and we’ll mean it. We mean it when we say that out of a place of belief, because the place of belief really is the place of trust. 

 

And I’d like to note what Solomon said after he stated, “Blessed be the Lord.” It goes on to say, who has given rest to His people. In accordance with everything that He promised. 

 

Isn’t that awesome? 

Rest comes for us as part of God keeping His promises to us.

Rest.

 

If you feel weary today, and need rest, my prayer is that you will have what you need, straight from God. In whatever way best blesses you and brings Him glory, may He grant you rest and more rest and then some more rest. It may not come in the form of a nap, but God can give us rest in our inner being and renew and refresh us and give us renewed strength….may your strength be renewed like the eagle, as it says in Psalm 103:5. 

Keep Your promises to the one listening to this podcast today, Lord, and give them rest that is perfect for them right now in this season of their life. Provide all that they need, and be glorified in this time of rest. 

 

God knows just what He has promised to you. And He knows how to keep every bit of those promises to you. 

 

It can be hard when we feel a bit stuck in the in-between. We know we’ve been given a promise, but it hasn’t come to pass yet, and we have needs and hopes and we are feeling like maybe we missed it…did we do something wrong? What’s going on, Lord? What’s up with this? (ever have a prayer time that sounds like that…your prayer is, I don’t know what’s going on and I sure hope I didn’t miss something…) 

Those are the moments when it is hardest to hang on to belief, which is also hanging on to our trust. 

Those are also the moments that can be real faith stretchers for us.

Faith that is untested is no faith at all. I’ve read that somewhere and I’m not sure who to attribute that quote to, but it’s a good one. 

Faith that is untested is no faith at all.

We don’t need a flashlight at high noon in Tucson on a sunny summer day.

And we don’t need faith if life is constantly giving us nothing but ease. 

 

If you are experiencing a moment of faith stretching, can I read today’s verse once more as a rock solid reminder that God will, absolutely and with utter perfection and precision, keep His promises? One of those promises is that He will never leave you nor forsake you, and I think that may be a promise that somebody needs to hold onto today…your God who loves you beyond measure or comprehension WILL NEVER leave you nor forsake you. You are chosen, not forsaken. You are His beloved. You are loved by the God who spoke the world into existence. 

 

1 Kings 8:56 - Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, in accordance with everything He promised. Not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He spoke through Moses His servant. 

 

Not one word failed.

Not one word will ever fail.

All God’s good promise, which He has given us via the Bible, all of God’s good promise is unfailing and infallible. It’s certain, and it cannot fail. God’s promises are inerrant. 

And not one word of God’s good promise to you will fail. Ever. 

 

Choose belief today, even in, maybe especially in, those hard places, those faith stretching spots, and when it’s not high noon in Tucson and you need no faith.

 

Take heart, and remember that in this world you will have trouble, but Jesus has overcome the world. The words Solomon spoke in 1 Kings 8 during the dedication of the first temple are an encouraging reminder of the truth about God and His promises to us as we look toward the soon building of the third temple in Jerusalem. True, true, ever always true…God’s promises are true for you.

 

Thanks so much for joining me today, and hey, I haven’t asked in a while so I’ll ask today. If you are encouraged by The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, I’d be super grateful for a review or a rating or a share of the show. And if you have a women's ministry event coming up, or a moms event, or maybe even an online event, like a summit or conference, and you are looking for a speaker, I’d be honored to be in the mix, to be considered for those events. I’ve got a link in the show notes to a Google form - click that or pass it along to the women’s ministry leader if that might be helpful. Have a blessed rest of your day…a blessed week, and I’m praying that you have all the rest you need and receive an outpouring of God’s favor, grace and tremendous love today. See ya next time. Bye bye.