For Advent, I spent some time in a “Love God Greatly” study called Everlasting Covenant with some of my sisters, and I was reminded again and again that God is a Promise Keeper! He confirms His covenant with Noah by promising never again to destroy the earth with a watery flood (Genesis 9:11), and He seals this promise with a rainbow (Gen 9:13). God promises to Abraham descendants more than the stars in the sky; Christ being the One promised, who came from Abraham’s family (Gen 15 and Galatians 3). Then God promises to His people through the prophet Jeremiah:

“I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land…I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. I will be their God and they will be my people.” - Jeremiah 31:33

Ultimately, God’s promise is fulfilled when Christ comes to earth and “so He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance He has promised, since He died to set (us) free from the violations committed under the first covenant.” (Hebrews 9:15). Now, as followers of Jesus Christ, we get to remember His fulfilled promise for us each time we commune together for “every time (we) eat the bread and drink the cup, (we) proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (2 Corinthians 11:26)

One of the final pieces of the JOY curriculum is a Woman’s Journey of Discipleship called Friends on the Journey by Busa, Fobes, and Manchester. During December, our JOY group had conversations around this book, and my lessons about God as Promise Keeper continued. This is what the authors of this book conclude:

“A promise is an oral or written agreement to do or not do something. God’s promises, which are found throughout Scripture, are foundational to living and ministering in God’s kingdom. God consistently uses promises for a variety of reasons, such as to guide, reveal His will, and encourage…Claiming God’s promises is the heart of our prayer life. We simply take back to God His promises of what He said He would do.”

At the end of this past year of 2020 in which a world-wide pandemic disrupted our lives as we once experienced, women in the Women in Prayer group gathered on Zoom to remember that God is still true in keeping His promises. When we see a rainbow, we remember that He will never flood the whole earth again, no matter how sinful we become. When we see the stars in the sky, we remember that God’s promise to father Abraham has come to pass in the birth of our Savior, Jesus.

We can count on God to keep his promises to us, the descendants of Abraham, and we share in the inheritance of Jesus when we believe in Him.

The beginning of a new year is a good time to establish new routines and set goals for the coming year. I suggest a consideration of the 7 Promises as found in the top Google search for “What are the promises of God?” Apparently, the truth can be found on the internet.

• I will be with you.

• I will protect you.

• I will be your strength.

• I will answer you.

• I will provide for you.

• I will give you peace.

• I will always love you.

Remember these promises from God and make each one your prayer for each day of the week. Imagine what 2021 could be like as you focus daily on our Promise-Keeping God. Psalm 145:13b The LORD is trustworthy in all He promises and faithful in all He does.