One of the stories that my parents love to tell is from my childhood days. It was a time when our family was eating at a restaurant that featured a live jazz band (they had a dance floor, and I have many happy memories of dancing with my grandfather there). When the band asked for requests, I popped out of my chair and requested my favorite song, which just happened to be a hymn. To no one’s surprise, the band didn’t do a cover of “Standing on the Promises”! Even after all of it is a song whose foundational message has remained with me over all of these years.
“Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God, I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.”
The promises of God are our foundation. They are the bedrock our lives are built on. In Matthew 7 Jesus says when we build our lives on His promises, even the worst storms of life won’t wash us away.
When life gets difficult, especially when tragedy strikes, we can stand on God’s promises (Deut. 31:8). When we are celebrating a new birth or a new beginning, we can celebrate on His promises knowing that God is a God of new beginnings (Isaiah 43:19). When you feel disconnected, even from those things that usually make you smile, you can recall His promises (Psalm 3:3).
One of the most meaningful promises I find myself relying on is from Lamentations 3:22-23:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
No matter what each day brings, God’s mercies – His love, grace, and goodness – are renewed each day. They never run out. Regardless of what life throws at us, regardless of how short we fall in our attempts to live the life we’re called to live, every day holds fresh grace and love from the Lord. What a promise!
In the next two parts of this three-part series, I want to share a total of 10 promises from God to us, His children. There are dozens upon dozens more, and I encourage you today, to go ahead and delve into the Word to study them. Pray them aloud, pray them over a family member or friend, or sing aloud His promises!
“As For Me And My Family” T-Shirt
Love this Brendt! Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful heart and God’s truth! When my son was born at just 2lbs God gave me a verse in Psalms 112 that says “Surely he will never be shaken, a righteous man will live forever, he will have no fear of bad news.” We got to put those words as stickers on his NICU wall and I hung onto that promise as I watched God’s hand grow him strong for 2 months in there to come home to us! In Him is so much hope and for that I’m eternally grateful!
Oh Kala, this is powerful! What a testimony of His promises applied in your life. And to know that His word was written on the walls surrounding your family during that time, that He was near and faithful. Thank you so much for sharing this with me, it was so uplifting.