Category: Daily Promises

What are the promises of God?

There are many, many promises of God in Scripture. In each promise, God pledges that something will (or will not) be done or given or come to pass. These are not flippant, casual promises such as we often make; these promises of God are rock-solid, unequivocal commitments made by God Himself. Because God is faithful, the recipients of the divine promises can have full assurance that what God has pledged will indeed be realized (Numbers 23:19).

Here are just a few of the promises that God has made:

Promises of God in the Old Testament.

God promised to bless Abraham and, through his descendants, the whole world (Genesis 12:2–3). This promise, called the Abrahamic Covenant, pointed to the coming Messiah for whom Abraham looked (John 8:56).

God promised Israel to be their God and make them His people (Leviticus 26:12–13). Old Testament history is teeming with examples of God fulfilling this promise.

God promised that if we search for Him we will find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29). He is not playing hard-to-get. “Our God is near us whenever we pray to him” (Deuteronomy 4:7).

God promised protection for His children (Psalm 121). He was the vigilant watchman over all Israel.

God promised that His love will never fail (1 Chronicles 16:34). He is faithful in every way.

God promised Israel that their sin could be forgiven, their prosperity restored, and their nation healed (2 Chronicles 7:14). Repentance opened the road to fellowship and blessing.

God, under the terms of the Mosaic Covenant, promised prosperity to Israel for obedience and destruction for disobedience (Deuteronomy 30:15–18). Unfortunately, Israel eventually chose to disobey, and the nation was destroyed by Assyria and Babylon.

God promised blessing for all who will delight themselves in His Word (Psalm 1:1–3). Simple faith has its rewards.

Promises of God in the New Testament.

God promised salvation to all who believe in His Son (Romans 1:16–17). There is no greater blessing than the free gift of God’s salvation.

God promised that all things will work out for good for His children (Romans 8:28). This is the broader picture that keeps us from being dismayed by present circumstances.

God promised comfort in our trials (2 Corinthians 1:3–4). He has a plan, and one day we will be able to share the comfort we receive.

God promised new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Salvation is the beginning of a brand-new existence.

God promised every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Whereas, in the Old Testament, Israel had the promise of physical blessing, the church today has been promised spiritual blessings “in the heavenly realms.” Our inheritance is reserved for us (1 Peter 1:4).

God promised to finish the work He started in us (Philippians 1:6). God does nothing in half measures. He started the work in us, and He will be sure to complete it.

God promised peace when we pray (Philippians 4:6–7). His peace is protection. It will “guard your hearts and your minds in Christ.”

God promised to supply our needs (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19). Not that we get everything we want, but our needs will be taken care of. We are more valuable than the birds, and our Heavenly Father feeds them (Matthew 6:26).

Jesus’ promises in the Gospels.

Jesus promised rest (Matthew 11:28–30). Burdens are lifted at Calvary.

Jesus promised abundant life to those who follow Him (John 10:10). Following Jesus brings us more spiritual fulfillment than we could have anticipated. We leave boring behind.

Jesus promised eternal life to those who trust Him (John 4:14). The Good Shepherd also promised to hold us securely: “No one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28).

Jesus promised His disciples power from on high (Acts 1:8). In this power, they “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6, ESV).

Jesus promised that He will return for us (John 14:2–3). From then on, we will be with Him always.

There are many more promises of God that could be listed. All of them find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, “the radiance of God’s glory” (Hebrews 1:3). “No matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

https://www.gotquestions.org/promises-of-God.html

I don’t know

I feel the most unsettled when I’m uncertain about the future.Many of you are also probably facing circumstances that have left you feeling caught off guard and unsure about what tomorrow holds. So many times I find myself bracing for impact when I check my daily news feed. If there’s one word that seems most certain to describe the times we are living in, it’s “uncertain.”There are thousands of scenarios that evoke these feelings of uncertainty, fear and exhaustion from life not being like you thought it would be.Whatever your situation, you probably feel like you can’t change it, but you still have to live through the realities of what’s happening right now. Sometimes you just have to walk in your “I don’t know.” The Lord makes it clear in His Word that things will not always go as we wish they would in this life. The crucial detail for us to have peace in the middle of everything we face is to stay close to the Lord. We think we want comfort in the “I don’t know” times of life. But comfort isn’t a solution to seek; rather, it’s a byproduct we’ll reap when we stay close to the Lord.I wish I could promise you that everything’s going to turn out like you’re hoping it will. I can’t, of course. But what I can promise you is this: God is close to us even in our “I don’t knows.” God has lessons for us that are crucially important for our future, and we’re learning them in the middle of our “I don’t knows.” God has a strength He must prepare us with, and the training ground is here in the “I don’t know.”This time isn’t a waste, and it’s definitely not pointless when we are walking with God. Let’s cry out to God, declaring that this hard time will be a holy time, a close-to-God time. And let’s choose to believe there is good happening, even in these places. We can rest in the knowledge that wherever God is, good is being worked.-What difficult “I don’t know” season are you walking through today?

Lysa TerKeurst

PROVERBS 31 MINISTRIES

The Creation of “YOU”

Promise #124:  
I gently formed you in your mother’s womb.

Psalm 139:13 (WEB)
For you formed my inmost being.
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

The New International Version Bible says Psalm 139:13 this way… For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. The New Living Translation says… You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  No matter what translation you prefer, this is a gentle picture of God’s loving creation process.

You were not blasted into creation, but gently formed in your mother’s womb by a loving God who took the time to delicately knit all your inward parts together. May the revelation of your creation bring a sense of well being to your soul. You were not a mistake. God planned you before the foundation of the world and He determined the exact time of your birth.

One of the greatest tragedies in this world today is the feeling that our lives were a mistake. Some people were even told that by their parents. The truth is that no life was ever a mistake. Each person ever created, was created with intention by the One who is love itself.

God gently formed you in your mother’s womb and He is the One who brought you forth on the day you were born. (Psalm 71:6) There is absolutely no doubt about it!

Who is in you!

4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4

Remember this verse as we go into the next year!

May God bless all of you, as we embrace Him and each other.

Out of Darkness

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1 Peter 2:9 (WEB)

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence
of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:
Promise #64: I have called you out of darkness into My glorious light.
I love how all of the letters in the New Testament speak of our old life as being in the past tense. We are no longer sinners, but are now sons and daughters. We no longer live in darkness, but we have been called into the glorious light and love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In today’s Scripture verse, the Apostle Peter reminds us that we are a chosen generation and a royal priesthood set apart by God Himself. We no longer live in darkness for we are children of the light. My question in today’s blog is… Do we believe that we are living in the light of God right now?

In Revelation 12:10, John describes the devil as ‘the accuser of the brethren’. He is the father of lies and he will do everything he can do try and convince us that we still live in darkness (John 8:44). While we still live in a fallen world filled with darkness, we ourselves are children of the light.  We are a new creation now. The old has passed away and all things are new! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

May each and every one of us take our rightful place as sons and daughters to our Heavenly Father, appropriating the shed blood of the Lamb of God so that we can fulfill our destiny as His kids and walk in the light as He is in the light… for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. Ephesians 5:8 (ESV)

We are the World! Happy New Year!

Praying for blessings to all of you around the world. May we all come together to find what is best in each of us. Love surely is better than hate. Working together, standing together, loving together will make the difference. If you are upset about something, find your voice. Go on Twitter, Facebook, start a Website, care and share positive ideas and progressive thinking instead of crying in a corner. We can all light the place where we stand and that light will shine enough to change things.

Be blessed with much love, joy, and happiness!

Sharon & Erick

We are the world!

There comes a time when we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And its time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all

We can’t go on pretending day by day
That someone, somehow will soon make a change
We are all a part of Gods great big family
And the truth, you know,
Love is all we need

We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving

Worried Enough to Pray?

by Max Lucado
Last week’s blog struck a nerve. I wrote a piece entitled “Decency for President.” The premise was a simple one. Shouldn’t a presidential candidate who claims to be Christian talk like one? When a candidate waves a Bible in one speech and calls a reporter “bimbo” in the next, isn’t something awry? Specifically, when Donald Trump insists that he is a Christian (“a good Christian” to use his descriptor) and then blasts, belittles, and denigrates everyone from Barbara Bush to John McCain to Megyn Kelly, shouldn’t we speak up?

If the candidate is not a Christian, then I have no right to speak. But if the candidate does what Trump has done, wave a Bible and attempt to quote from it, then we, his fellow Christians need to call him to at least a modicum of Christian behavior, right?

Again, I struck a nerve. More than three million of you read the article in the first 36 hours! Thousands of you weighed in with your comments. They were fascinating to read. (Not all of them pleasant to read, mind you. The dozens of you who told me to stick to the pulpit and stop meddling in politics– I get it. By the way, I’d like to invite you to attend our services. My upcoming message is “Kindness”.) Detractors notwithstanding, your comments were heartfelt and passionate.

I detected a few themes.

You have a deep sense of love for our country. Patriotism oozed through your words. You cherish the uniqueness and wonder of the USA. You have varying opinions regarding leadership style, role of government, and political strategy. But when it comes to loving the country, you are unanimously off the charts.

You have an allergy to “convenient” Christians. You resist people who don the Christian title at convenient opportunities (i.e., presidential campaigns). You would prefer the candidate make no mention of faith rather than leave the appearance of a borrowed faith that will be returned to the lender after the election.

You are concerned, profoundly concerned, about the future of our country. The debt. Immorality. National security. The role of the Supreme Court. Immigration. Religious liberty. The list is as long as the worries are deep.

So where does this leave us? When a person treasures the country, but has trepidation about its future, what is the best course of action?

Elijah can weigh in on this question.

He lived during one of the darkest days in the history of Israel. The Northern Kingdom had 19 kings, each one of whom was evil. Hope had boarded the last train and optimism the final flight. The leaders were corrupt and the hearts of the people were cold. But comets are most visible against the black sky. And in the midst of the darkness, a fiery comet by the name of Elijah appeared.

The name Elijah means, “My God is Jehovah.” And he lived up to his name. He appeared in the throne room of evil King Ahab with a weather report. “‘As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word’” (1 Kings 17:1).

Elijah’s attack was calibrated. Baal was the fertility god of the pagans, the god to whom they looked for rain and fertile fields. Elijah called for a showdown: the true God of Israel against the false god of the pagans. How could Elijah be so confident of the impending drought? Because he had prayed.

Eight centuries later the prayers of Elijah were used as a model.

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops” (James 5:16-18).

James was impressed that a prayer of such power came from a person so common. Elijah was “a human being” but his prayers were heard because he prayed earnestly. This was no casual prayer, comfortable prayer, but a radical prayer. “Do whatever it takes, Lord,” Elijah begged, “even if that means no water.”

What happened next is one of the greatest stories in the Bible. Elijah told the 450 prophets of Baal: You get a bull, I’ll get a bull. You build an altar, I’ll build an altar. You ask your god to send fire; I’ll ask my God to send fire. The God who answers by fire is the true God.

The prophets of Baal agreed and went first.

“At noon Elijah began to taunt them. ‘Shout louder!’ he said. ‘Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.’

“So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention” (1 Kings 18:27-29).

(Elijah would have flunked a course in diplomacy.) Though the prophets cut themselves and raved all afternoon, nothing happened. Finally Elijah asked for his turn.

“Then Elijah said to all the people, ‘Come here to me.’ They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, ‘Your name shall be Israel’” (1 Kings 18:30-31).

Elijah poured four jugs of water (remember, this was a time of drought) over the altar three times. Then Elijah prayed.

“LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.   Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again” (1 Kings 18:36-37).

Note how quickly and dramatically God answered.

“Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ‘The LORD—he is God! The LORD—he is God!’” (1 Kings 18:38-39).

“Pow!” the altar was ablaze. God delighted in and answered Elijah’s prayer. God delights in and answers our prayers as well.

Let’s start a fire, shall we?

If your responses to my blog are any indication, you are anxious. You love this country, yet you are troubled about the future. You wonder what the future holds and what we can do. Elijah’s story provides the answer. We can pray. We can offer earnest, passionate prayers.

It’s time to turn our concerns into a unified prayer. Let’s join our hearts and invite God to do again what he did then; demonstrate His power. Super Tuesday, March 1, is the perfect day for us to step into the presence of God.

Dear Lord,

You outrank any leader. You hold sway over every office. Greater is the occupant of Heaven’s throne than the occupant of the White House.

You have been good to this country. You have blessed us in spite of our sin and guarded us in spite of our rebellion.

We unite our hearts in one prayer. Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done. Please, speak through the electoral process to reveal your leader.

This we pray in the name of Jesus,

Amen

© Max Lucado
February 29, 2016

Obeying God brings great joy

Have you experienced the joy of obedience?

No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who do what it right. O Lord Almighty, happy are those who trust in you.

Psalm 84:11-12 NLT

This is what I told them: “Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Only do as I say, and all will be well!”

Jeremiah 7:23 NLT

We all live in a web of relationships dependent upon obedience to authority. Like a loving parent, God sets standards for our good and to protect us from evil and harm. God desires obedience motivated not by fear but by love and trust. Ironically, obedience actually frees us up to enjoy life as God intended, because it keeps us from becoming entangled or enslaved to those things that distract us and cause us heartache. Even though God’s command is sometimes difficult, or doesn’t make sense from our human perspective, obedience will always bring blessing, joy, and peace.

adapted from TouchPoint Bible with devotional commentary by Ron Beers and Gilbert Beers, Tyndale House Publishers (1996), p 1238

Digging Deeper

For more on obedience, see End of the Spear by Steve Saint, Tyndale House Publishers (2005).

Steve Saint was five years old when his father, missionary pilot Nate Saint, was speared to death by a primitive Ecuadorian tribe. In adulthood, Steve, having left Ecuador for a successful business career in the United States, never imagined making the jungle his home again. But when that same tribe asks him to help them, Steve, his wife, and their teenage children move back to the jungle. There, Steve learns long-buried secrets about his father’s murder, confronts difficult choices, and finds himself caught between two worlds.

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

Are you filled with Joy?

Are you filled with joy?

I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!

John 15:11 NLT

Full Joy

In many ways, we live in bleak times. Millions feel disillusioned with life while millions more feel uncertain about the future — especially young people. Many of you in Generation X have been victims of a great social experiment in which parents who never grew up cast aside time-honored moral values and, in the phrase of the 1960s, did their own thing.

Nevertheless, there is someone to believe in, something to grasp, and someone to trust. You need to go to the next letter of the alphabet, to Y — as in “Why do I exist. Why was I created? And what am I living for?”

According to Jesus, you were created for joy. “These things I have spoken to you,” Jesus said, “that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

The things Jesus spoke of were His teachings about bearing fruit. We were created to bear fruit for God, which essentially means to become like Jesus: His mind becomes our mind, His purpose becomes our purpose. And there’s only one way to produce such luscious fruit, according to Jesus: “Abide in Me” (John 15:4). This is the secret of spiritual growth and the key to overflowing joy. Are you bearing spiritual fruit?

Adapted from Breakfast with Jesus by Greg Laurie (Tyndale House) p 246-48

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

God is Always the Same

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,

who does not change like shifting shadows. 

James 1:17”

God will always be the same! 

No one else will. 

Lovers call you today and scorn you tomorrow. 

Companies follow pay raises with pink slips. 

Friends applaud you when you drive a classic and dismiss you when you drive a dud. 

Not God. 

God is always the same. 

James 1:17 says, “With God, there is no variation or shadow due to change.” 

Catch God in a bad mood? 

Won’t happen. 

Can your fear exhaust his grace?  A sardine will swallow the Atlantic first. 

Do you think he’s given up on you?  Wrong! 

Did he not make a promise to you? 

What he says he will do, he does. 

What he promises, he makes come true. 

God is not a human being, and he will not lie.

God is never sullen or sour,

sulking

or stressed. 

His strength,

truth,

ways,

and love never change. 

He is the same yesterday and today and forever!

~ Max Lucado

God’s Daily Promise – #11

 

Jeremiah 29:11  

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahweh,
thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
  (World English Bible)
Promise #11: My plan for your future is filled with hope.

When you think of your own future, how do you feel? Are you excited to think of what is ahead or does the thought of the future cause you to be anxious? With an uncertain economy, wars and rumors of wars, etc., it is easy to feel anxious and uncertain about what lies ahead. Yet in today’s promise, God says that your future is filled with hope.

My favorite Bible translation of this verse comes from the NIV Bible… For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV) I find it very reassuring to know that God has a plan for my future that is filled with hope. I don’t have to dread what’s coming because my heavenly Dad already has a plan for me. And of course we know that the ultimate hope is living in the light of God’s love forever!

May the reality of today’s promise fill you with peace. May you know that while the future may be uncertain to you, it is not to God. He has a father’s heart toward you and has determined to fill your future with hope. Does this mean that there will be no bumps in the road? Certainly not. But we do know that all things will ultimately work together for our good as Paul declared in Romans 8:28… We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. (WEB)

God’s Daily Promise – #10

Ezekiel 36:26-27 

26 I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my ordinances, and do them.
(World English Bible)
 
Promise #10: I have given you a new heart and put My own Spirit in you.  
This passage of Scripture is pointing to the day when people would no longer have to live a life separate from God. They wouldn’t have to try and figure out what the Lord desired from a distance because God promised to give them a new heart and put His own Spirit within them.

Of course this promise was fulfilled when Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, came into the world and made a way for each one of us to receive the free gift of salvation. Because of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, we no longer have to live with a cold heart of stone because He has given us a new heart. Because of the New Covenant, we no longer are separated from God because He has given us the most precious gift He could give…the gift of Himself.

God has given each one of us a new heart and He has put His own Spirit within us as a deposit to guarantee our inheritance. There is no greater gift that He could give. May we be aware of the abiding presence of God that lives in us today and have a heart of thanksgiving to God for giving us the precious gift of a new heart and His own Spirit!

Photo by Barry Adams

Click here to read Barry Adams’ new daily devotional at Fatherheart.tv

God’s Daily Promise – #9

Galatians 3:29 

If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed
and heirs according to promise.
(World English Bible)

Promise #9: Since you are in Christ, I have made you an heir of all My promises.
 
Every one of the promises that God made to Abraham now belongs to you and I because we belong to Jesus Christ and are now heirs according to the promise. Just think of that for a moment. You are an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus (Romans 8:17). Every promise that God made to Abraham is part of your own spiritual inheritance!

When God said to Abraham that He would be the father of many nations, and a blessing to many (Genesis 12), you were part of that promise.  The New Living Translation says Galatians 3:29 this way… And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. NLT

May our God and Father give each one of us a revelation today about what it means to be an heir in His amazing kingdom. An heir of God and a co-heir with our elder brother, Jesus Christ. There is no higher call, there is no greater destiny, than to be part of the eternal family of the living God. Be encouraged by the words found in Galatians 4:7 – So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.(WEB)

Photo by Jeff Epp

Click here to read Barry Adams’ new daily devotional at Fatherheart.tv

God’s Daily Promise – #8

Galatians 4:6

And because you are children,
God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying,
“Abba, Father!”
 (World English Bible)

Promise #8: I sent the Spirit of My Son into your heart so you could call Me Father.

The greatest gift that the Father could give us was the Spirit of His Son, the Spirit of Sonship. Each one of us who is born again, carries within our being the very life and nature of Jesus Christ Himself. Galatians 4:7 goes on to say… So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (WEB)

The Spirit of the Son that lives within us continually calls out ‘Abba Father!’. Abba is an Aramaic word for father that little children would call out to their dads in New Testament times. It would be like us saying ‘papa’ or ‘daddy’ in the English language. Because we carry within our very being the Spirit of the Son, our spirit man continually cries out ‘Papa’ to God, whether we are aware of this cry in our heart or not.

I believe it delights our heavenly Father when we cry out ‘Abba!’ to Him, for that is the very reason why God has given us the Spirit of His Son… so that He could be a Father to us. So may a cry resonate deep in our heart today as we join with the Spirit of the Son that lives within us that calls out ‘Abba Father!’.
Photo by Jeff Epp

Click here to read Barry Adams’ new daily devotional at Fatherheart.tv

God’s Daily Promise – #7

John 3:16 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
(World English Bible)

Promise #7: I have given you eternal life because you have believed in Jesus Christ.
John 3:16 is one of the most quoted, most loved Bible verses in the New Testament. This Scripture has been used by evangelists over the years to invite many people to come to Christ. The foundation of this much loved verse is and always will be, the love of the Father. For God (the Father) so loved the world…

It was the great love of our heavenly Father that caused Him to give up His most treasured possession, the life of His Son, so that we too could share in Jesus’ eternal life. What a glorious promise! We were loved so much by God, that He gave up all that He loved in order to gain our love!

May we never take the wonder of John 3:16 for granted, but may we continue to revel in the amazing love our God and Father has for us every day in our lives. Thank you Father for loving us so much, that you sent your only begotten Son to the world in order to purchase our redemption! ~ Barry Adams

God’s Daily Promise – #6

Colossians 1:12-13 

12 giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; 13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;
(World English Bible)

Promise #6: I delivered you from darkness into the kingdom of My beloved Son.
Each one of us were once held captive by the power of darkness before we were set free by the power of Christ and brought into His kingdom. For every one who have said ‘yes’ to Jesus, our old life is now in the past tense and our new life in Christ is our present reality…
Whether we feel like it or not.

May the Holy Spirit give us revelation today to know that we have already been translated into the kingdom of our elder brother. The power of darkness has no more hold on us because of our royal position in Christ. We now live in an upside down kingdom, where the last will be first, the weak will be strong, and the poor will inherit the riches of our Father’s kingdom.

May each and every one of us echo the prayer that Paul prayed in Ephesians that our God and Father would give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation to know Him better. That the eyes of our heart would be opened so that we could really see the hope of His calling and our glorious inheritance in the saints!

Ephesians 1:15-23…
15 For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which you have toward all the saints, 16 don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might 20 which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. 22 He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (WEB)

God’s Daily Promise #5

Ephesians 1:4-5 

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without blemish before him in love; 5 having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,
(World English Bible)

Promise #5: I chose you to be adopted into My family before creation.
It pleased the Father to choose us before the foundation of the world. In love, He saw the day when we would say yes to the free gift of His Son’s life for our life and become born into His amazing family. Before He even spoke the world into existence, He saw us!

And our adoption is not like any human adoption, for God has given us His own Spirit as a deposit to guarantee our inheritance. We are not servants in His house, but actual sons and daughters, joint heirs with our elder brother Jesus, seated in Christ in heavenly places.

What an amazing promise! Every other promise and precept rests on God’s eternal plan to make us part of His family. As Ephesians 1:4 says, we are holy and without blame before Him in love all because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. What Jesus did on our behalf has secured our place forever as God’s kids!

1 John 3:1 – Behold, how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. (WEB)

 

God’s Daily Promise #4

Genesis 1:27-28  

27 God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
(World English Bible)

Promise #4: I created you in My own image with My special blessing.

God created us in His own image. Think about that for a moment. We were created to reflect the image of God Himself! I wonder what the angels thought when they first saw Adam and Eve? What a glorious privilege to be made in the image of the One who knit us together in our mother’s womb!

May we never take this blessing for granted. May we always be in awe of the fact that we were created to look just like God. When Jesus came to the earth 2,000 years ago, He sealed the deal by making a way for us to be conformed into His image (Romans 8:29) inside and out so that He could be the firstborn of many brothers and sisters.

My prayer today is that we would live in the light of our Father’s original blessing to be fruitful, to multiply and to have dominion throughout the whole earth with the knowledge that we were created to look just like our heavenly Dad.

Photo by Barry Adams

God’s Daily Promise #3

Psalm 33:11 
The counsel of Yahweh stands fast forever,
the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
(World English Bible)

Promise #3: The intentions of My heart will remain steadfast forever. 

In today’s promise, we are reminded that God is steadfast in what He has purposed. The New Living Translation Bible says Psalm 33:11 this way… But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken. NLT

When God determines to do something, His plans will stand firm forever. He is not fickle or tempermental and He will not be swayed by public opinion or the winds of change. He has fixed His eyes upon us and has purposed in His heart to love us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). …And He won’t change His mind!

What our heavenly Father started in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 1, He will see to completion at the end of the book of Revelation. No force in heaven or on earth will be able to prevent His purposes from being fulfilled. We can rest in God’s plan for our lives for the intentions of His heart will remain steadfast forever! ~ Barry Adams

Photo by Eric Boldt

God’s Daily Promise #2

Psalm 103:8 

Yahweh is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.
(World English Bible)

Promise #2: I am full of mercy and grace and I overflow with love. 

We live only a few miles from Niagara Falls. I am always overwhelmed by the sheer power and volume of the water that cascades over the brink of this natural wonder every second. When I think of the unending stream of God’s love that He shows to us every day, I think of this natural wonder.

As we continue our daily journey of reflecting in some of the promises of God in 2012, may we always be reminded of how He sees us. The Lord is full of mercy and grace and He overflows with love towards us. Everything that He does is motivated by His eternal, unending kindness. May the Holy Spirit give us a deeper revelation of the character and nature of God this new year and may He dismantle any misconceptions of our heavenly Dad that cause us to see Him as distant and angry.

Our God and Father is good. He is full of mercy and grace and just like Niagara Falls, He continually showers His love upon us. And His love will never ever end. May the revelation of the love of God continue to rush like a mighty river into your heart today.

Photo by Barry Adams

God’s Daily Promise #1

Malachi 3:6 

“For I, Yahweh, don’t change;
therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
(World English Bible)

Promise #1: I am the Lord your God and I never change. 
It is important for us to be reminded of this simple truth…  The Lord our God does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Every promise that He has made is secure and will last forever. Since we live in a world that is constantly changing, the promise of our Father’s rock-solid commitment to us is very reassuring.
Today is a new day for us to be able to experience the Lord’s continued faithfulness in our lives. He will never leave us or let us down. He loves us with all His heart and each one of His promises that is true today will be true in a million years from now.I pray that this truth will bring a deeper level of comfort and security to each one of our lives. May we look forward to all of the ways that our Father will show Himself faithful to us in 2012. May you be blessed beyond imagination!

AuthorBarry Adams

Obeying God brings great joy

How Much Do You Trust Your Heavenly Father?

If you love me, obey my commandments. 

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you.…

Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love them.

And because they love me, my Father will love them,

and I will love them.

And I will reveal myself to each one of them.

Matthew 21:28-32 NLT

An expression of trust

Parents set up rules for their children: Clean up your room, don’t go anywhere with a stranger; be home by 11 p.m. The purpose, of course, is for the children’s benefit and protection; loving parents are not trying to make their children miserable by given them rules to follow. And parents hope that their children will understand rules as expressions of love and concern; they hope their children’s obedience will be motivated more by love than by fear of punishment. Our obedience to Christ should likewise be an expression of our trust in his care for us.

adapted from TouchPoint Bible with devotional commentary by Ron Beers and Gilbert Beers, Tyndale House Publishers (1996), p 934

It is better to go to Troas with God, than anywhere else without Him.
G CAMPBELL MORGAN

You have not really learned a commandment until you have obeyed it.… Nothing clarifies doctrine like doing. Each new thing learned becomes a millstone if we don’t make it a milestone.
VANCE HAVNER

The Lord of all creation has ordained that he would do his work through us. Our seeing the Spirit’s guidance and obeying what he wants us to do and say is the way he works to bless the world.
LLOYD OGILVIE

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

Daily Promise – December 13 – God is for you, not against you and He will go before you and fight your battles on your behalf

Deuteronomy 1:30 KJV

The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you,
according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;  
 
Promise #347: I will go before you and fight your battles. 

I love this photo of lightning that is the backdrop of today’s promise. Such power released from heaven in such a short time. May this image be a reminder of the incredible power of our God and Father for He is the biggest Dad and the strongest Dad in the universe!

In Exodus 14:14, the Lord makes this promise to Israel… “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” NIV Today’s promise is yet another reminder that God has committed Himself to fight for you. In Romans 8:31 Paul reminds us that if God is for us, who can be against us?

We know from Ephesians 6 that our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the dark powers and rulers of this world. In Ephesians 6:10 we are called to be strong in the Lord and His mighty power and to take on the full armor of God. It is His armor, not ours.

If you are feeling overwhelmed today with the things that are opposing you, may this promise bring great comfort to your heart. My prayer is that each and every one of us would live in the safety and security that is described in Psalm 91, knowing that we live in the secret place of the Most High, and we dwell under the shadow of the Almighty. …God is for you, not against you and He will go before you and fight your battles on your behalf.

AuthorBarry Adams |

Daily Promise – November 30 – God keeps His promises–All of them.

1 Kings 8:56 KJV

Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel,
according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise,
which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.

 

Promise #334: Every word of every promise that I have made will come to pass. 
God is not a man that He should lie. Every promise that He has made will come to pass because He is faithful to do all that He has said that He will do. In a world of broken promises and disappointing authority figures, it is easy to become cynical and untrusting. Our negative life experiences with people can cause us to mistrust God in the same way.

In today’s promise, we are reminded that God keeps His promises. All of them. We may not understand His ways at times, but He is always true to His Word. Trust is a huge part of the foundation of our faith. If we struggle to trust Him, we will struggle to believe what He says is true.

My prayer today is that God will restore childlike trust to each of our hearts in increasing measure so that we will have every confidence that every promise that our Papa makes will come to pass!

Photo by Steve Taylor

AuthorBarry Adams

Daily Promise – November 29 – He has prepared an everlasting city for us to enjoy!

Hebrews 11:16 KJV

But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God
is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.


Promise #333: An everlasting city awaits you, for I am not ashamed to be called your God. 
Our God and Father has prepared a city for you and I that will last forever. He has done this because He is not ashamed to be called our God. In the last half of this verse in the Amplified Bible, it says this… For that reason God is not ashamed to be called their God [even to be surnamed their God–the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob], for He has prepared a city for them. AMPI love the thought that we have taken on God’s surname because He is so happy that we are His children. In Ephesians 3:14-15, the Apostle Paul says that all the Father’s family in heaven and earth derives its name directly from Him. We belong to Him and He is not ashamed of us! In Hebrews 2:11 the writer of Hebrews says that Jesus is not ashamed to call us His brothers too!

What an amazing family that we have been called into! Because of God’s great love for us, He has prepared an everlasting city for us to enjoy!

Photo by Steve Taylor

AuthorBarry Adams

Daily Promise – November 28 – The eternal glory that is in store for you far surpasses your present troubles

2 Corinthians 4:17 KJV

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

Promise #332: The eternal glory that is in store for you far surpasses your present troubles.  
I find it interesting that Paul refers to his own struggles a ‘light affliction’. This is a man who was stoned, shipwrecked and beaten nearly to death on a number of occasions. Yet he had the ability to see his sufferings through an eternal perspective. Because God gave him the ability to see with the eyes of faith, he could endure the hardships of life knowing what was yet to come.

In the light of eternity, our lives will be a moment, a twinkling of an eye, so to speak. In James 4:4, our lives are described this way… Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. NIV

No matter what you are struggling with today, be encouraged that the glory of God that will be revealed in you far outweighs your present circumstances. May our God and Father give you His peace so that you can take heart in this promise today as you continue to fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith.

Photo by Steve Taylor

AuthorBarry Adams |

Daily Promise – November 13 – He is expecting, looking and longing to be gracious to us

Isaiah 30:18 KJV

And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you,
and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you:
for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

Promise #317: I will wait for opportunities to show you My compassion.

The Amplified version of the Bible says the first part of Isaiah 30:18 this way… And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. AMP

What a beautiful picture of the longing that God has for you and I. He is always in a posture of waiting for every opportunity to show us His compassion. I love the Amplified translation that says that He is expecting, looking and longing to be gracious to us.

This Bible verse reminds of the father in the Prodigal Son story in Luke 15 who was waiting for his rebellious son to find his way home. In this story, Jesus tells us that the father saw the son when he was still a long way off and started running toward his boy. I think in the same way, our God and Father is waiting and watching for every opportunity to run to us so that He might pour out His love and mercy all over us. May we always be mindful of this amazing truth!
Photo by Barry Adams

AuthorBarry Adams |

Daily Promise – November 11 – Go to that place in our Father’s heart where we have free access to enter as His beloved little ones

Hebrews 4:16 KJV

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need.

Promise #315: Come boldly to My throne when you need to find mercy and grace.

You and I have an invitation from our God and Father to come boldly before His throne of grace today. In the book of Revelation, we read a little bit about what God’s throne room is like in chapter 4… Angels crying holy, holy holy, flashes of lightning, 24 elders bowing down, a sea of glass, and so much more! It is a holy place where angels fear to tread, but a place in our Father’s heart where we have free access to enter as His beloved little ones.

You can come into His presence right now if you like. His royal doors are always open to you, anytime, day or night. God wants each one of us to come to Him boldly, not timidly. He loves it when we climb up on His lap just as a little child would jump into his dad’s arms. He is always there for us ready to provide the mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.

There is no way that we can fathom the privilege that God has extended to us by inviting us to His throne of grace. It is an honor that could have only been purchased by the highest price possible…the shed blood of the Lamb of God. Thank you Jesus for making the way for us to become part of your family so that we could come boldly before our Father’s throne of grace 24/7! ~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – November 10 – There is no greater gift that He could have given to us, than the gift of His own life

Romans 8:15 KJV

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear;
but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Promise #314: I have given you the Spirit of adoption so you can call Me Father.

The most precious gift that God could give us is Himself. The Holy Spirit, which is called the Spirit of adoption or the Spirit of sonship, is the very Spirit of God Himself. The third person in the trinity is also referred to as the Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of the Son. The Bible says that we have received the Holy Spirit as a deposit to guarantee our inheritance. (2 Corinthians 1:22)

His very presence in our lives is the sign that we belong to God. We have now been born again and are God’s children and part of His amazing family. The very Spirit of the living God resides in us and bears witness with our own spirit that we are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus. The only appropriate response that we could possible have is to cry out from the core of our being the words ‘Abba, Father!’.

‘Abba’ is an Aramaic word which was the common language that Jesus spoke to the people in. It is the most simplest way that a child can call our to their father. In English terms, it would be like a like us calling out to our papa or daddy. Romans 8:15 tells us that because we have the spirit of sonship living in our hearts, we can call Almighty God our papa! There is no greater gift that He could have given to us, than the gift of His own life that now lives right in the center of our being.
Photo by Barry Adams

Daily Promise – November 9 – He is our Light and the Strength of our Life

Psalm 27:1 KJV

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Promise #313: I am your light and your salvation, the strength of your life.

There is a confidence that the Lord wants you to walk in that will cause fear to flee from our lives. It is the confidence that the shepherd boy David walked in when he defeated the lion and the bear while tending the sheep. It is that same confidence that David had when he ran towards a huge giant named Goliath armed with just a sling shot and a few stones.

David knew that the Lord was his light and his salvation and was the strength of his life. As a result of this revelation, David could walk in a holy boldness without being afraid. God wants you and I to have this revelation too! Jesus Christ is our light and our salvation and the very strength of our lives! We have nothing to fear because if God is for us, who can possibly stand against us!

May the boldness of a lion (Proverbs 28:1) rise up within you today as you reminded who you are in Christ!
Photo by Barry Adams

Daily Promise – November 4 – He understands what makes you tick

Psalm 139:1-3 KJV

1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

Promise #308: I know everything about you and am mindful of all your ways.

Have you ever walked into a room full of people yet felt completely alone? I believe that we can be surrounded by many people in our day to day lives yet still carry a sense of loneliness in the depths of our soul. I think the reason that this is the case because we are all looking for a deeper, more profound interaction with people where we really get to know each other.

A professional counselor can get to ‘know’ a lot of people in their practice, yet still not be known by anyone themselves. I believe the cry of the human heart is that someone would know us through and through yet still accept us the way we are. In today’s promise from Psalm 139:1-3, King David makes the declaration that God knows everything about him and is familiar with all his ways.

God knows everything about you. He has even numbered each hair on your head. He understands what makes you tick and as a loving father is filled with compassion towards his children… so His heart is moved with compassion toward you! (Psalm 103:13-14) You are never alone because God is with you. He is close to you and understands you more than you understand yourself.

May this revelation go deep into each one of our hearts today so that we will never, ever feel alone again. He knows everything about us and yet He still loves us with all His heart!

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – November 3 – We have been grafted into the vine

Deuteronomy 7:6 KJV

For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God:
the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself,
above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

Promise #307: I have chosen you to be My own treasured possession.

This declaration of love was spoken over the nation of Israel. God had set them apart for Himself and chosen them to be His own treasured possession. The ESV Bible says Deuteronomy 7:6 this way… “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. NIV

We know that as Christians, we have been grafted into the vine (Romans 11:16-18) and now share in the spiritual blessings from Abraham. We too are a special people that God has chosen for Himself, His treasured possession. Ephesians 1:3-6 tells us how God lovingly chose us before the creation of the world to be adopted as His beloved children in Christ.

Do you feel the astronomical value that God has placed on your life today? If not, ask the Holy Spirit to show you how much you are treasured by your heavenly Father and I believe He will be faithful to show you just how much you are loved by God.
Photo by Barry Adams

Daily Promise – October 30 – May we be reminded of who we are and who we belong to

Hebrews 12:28 KJV

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace,
whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

Hebrews 12:28

New King James Version (NKJV)

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we mayserve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Promise #303: I am giving you a kingdom that can never be shaken.
Even the most rock solid mountains on this planet can be shaken. The highest mountain can crumble at the blast of our Father’s nostrils. Wars, rumors of wars, economic recessions, global strife, and many other things can cause even the strongest of men to tremble. Such is the kingdom of this world. It is here today and gone tomorrow.

But the author of Hebrews is speaking of another kingdom that cannot be moved that is our inheritance. It is a kingdom that cannot be shaken. It is a kingdom that is safe and secure and beyond the influence of fallen men. It is a kingdom where the greatest will be the servant of all and its citizens, little children.

We are receiving a kingdom right now that cannot be shaken. Jesus taught us to pray in the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:9-11) …your kingdom come, your will be done as it is in heaven. May we never take this kingdom lightly. May the fear of the Lord fill us with an ever increasing awareness of this unshakeable kingdom that we are receiving NOW!

May we be reminded of who we are and who we belong to as we read this Scripture passage that just precedes today’s promise in Hebrews 12: 22-23 (a)… But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. NIV   ~ Barry Adams

God will conquer death (What is real?)

(My note: What a perfectly timed message that ministers to my heart, and hopefully yours, especially as we celebrate the life of our beloved friend, Lori.)

What is real?

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

1 Corinthians 15:55 NLT

Redemptive Reality

“Roberto Benigni, who wrote, directed, and starred in Life is Beautiful, is a comic genius who has been called the Italian Charlie Chaplin. But the subject of his 1997 film, the Holocaust, is anything but funny.

Benigni’s character, a sad-sack waiter named Guido, courts the affections of a local schoolteacher and through various hilarious adventures wins her heart. They marry and have a son.

Then things take a dark turn: Father and son, who are Jewish, are sent to a concentration camp. To shield his son from the horrors they’re going through, Guido concocts a wild story, telling the boy that the whole experience is really just an elaborate game.

How did Benigni dare to use humor in a film about a great moral evil? He did it by expressing the Christian idea that there’s more to life than what we see. In the scene in which the father is being led away to be killed, he spots his son and makes a funny face. The message is that there is something that triumphs over even death, some transcendent reality that, even in this ultimate moment of gravity, enables Guido to make his son laugh.

Most of our cultural leaders operate from a purely naturalistic perspective, but Scripture teaches that there are eternal things. Life is Beautiful is not the gospel story, but it does point to the gospel because it’s about how God’s redemptive reality trumps the very worst this world has to offer.”

adapted from How Now Shall We Live? Devotional by Charles Colson (Tyndale) pp 581-82

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

Daily Promise – October 21 – He will meet all our needs

2 Corinthians 9:8 KJV

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye,
always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

Promise #294: I will meet all your needs so you can overflow with good works.

It is by grace that you are saved, it is God’s gift to us so that we won’t be able to boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8) It is this same grace that abounds to us and meets all of our needs so that we will overflow in every good work. The NIV Bible says 2 Corinthians 9:8 this way… And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. NIV

This Bible verse really speaks of the principle of abundance. God wants us to overflow with His grace at all times and in every situation. I believe the key to this principle of abundance is found in Matthew 10:8. This is where Jesus is sending out His disciples to proclaim the good news of the gospel. His charge is simply this…  ‘freely you have received, freely give‘.

One of the things that I am learning in my walk with God is that I need to be in a place of receiving first before I can have anything to give to others. I am convinced that it is out of the overflow of His love and grace in my own life that others are touched.

So my simple encouragement today is for you to learn to receive all the grace that God wants to give you today. As you receive the abundant, never ending supply that flows from heaven, it will overflow in your life so that you will have all that you need to do every good work that He has planned for you.
Photo by Martin Smith

Daily Promise – October 20 – The angel of the Lord surrounds you and me!

Psalm 34:7 KJV

The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them
that fear him, and delivereth them.


Promise #293: My angels will surround all who fear Me.

There are many references in the Bible that talk about angels and how they relate to God’s people. In Psalm 91:11 we read that God commands His angels to take care of us. In Hebrews 1:7 angels are called servants flames of fire and in Hebrews 1:14 angels are called ministering servants to the heirs of salvation. In today’s promise from Psalm 34:7, we read that the angel of the Lord actually camps around those who fear Him.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t think of angels that often. I know they are real and I know that they are involved in our daily lives. I choose to focus on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my salvation and on growing in my relationship with my heavenly Dad through the very active work of His Spirit. But today, I want to encourage you, that God has sent His angels to minister to us and to protect us because we are His heirs.

Just because we can’t see angels, doesn’t mean that they are not close by. And the reason why they are there and active on our behalf is because we belong to God and are His kids. The presence of angels surrounding each one is of us, is simply a token of our Father’s affection. What an amazing thought! The angel of the Lord surrounds you and me!

Daily Promise – October 19 – we are safe and secure in under the protection of our heavenly Dad’s wings

Psalm 91:4 KJV

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:
his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.


Promise #292: I will cover you with My feathers and protect you with My wings.

Psalm 91 is one of my favorite psalms that speaks of Almighty God’s protection and covering. I love the imagery of this verse in particular. Just imagine for a minute the imagery that the psalmist is portraying in this verse… The Most High God covers us with His feathers and protects us with His wings.

When I think of the imagery of this promise, I imagine God as a majestic eagle and we are His little chickadees who live in the shelter and safety of His magnificient wings. Nothing can harm us there. We are completely safe and secure. Another picture that comes to my mind when I think of this verse is that of a little child who seeks refuge under their dad’s raincoat in the midst of a storm, hanging tightly onto his leg, completely sheltered from the storm.

Both pictures bring me a sense of peace and safety and security knowing that God is my refuge and my safe place. This promise does not only paint a nice picture for us, but it declares a spiritual reality that you and I can live in all the days of our lives. The truth is that we are safe and secure in under the protection of our heavenly Dad’s wings… no matter how scary it is outside of His care! May the reality of this promise become more and more real to each and every one of us!

Daily Promise – October 18 – Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 KJV

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;


Promise #291: I will give you My power to destroy spiritual strongholds.

In yesterday’s promise from Exodus 14:14, I talked about the importance of us learning to be still and watch the Lord fight on our behalf. In today’s promise from 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, we are seeing a different facet to the same diamond. In this passage of Scripture, the Apostle Paul is exhorting us to learn how to partner with the Omniscient, Omnipresent and Omnipotent power that resides in us in order for us to demolish every spiritual stronghold in our lives.

Paul clearly reminds us that we do not wage warfare like the world does, but we have the power of the living God in us that is mighty to save and will bring into captivity every thought that opposes the knowledge of God. Just like I said yesterday, we need to understand that we cannot do this in our own strength for the battle is the Lord’s.

However, we are called in Romans 12:2 to not be conformed to this world, but rather transformed by the renewing of the mind. Our unredeemed thought life will never be in agreement with the mind of Christ. The only way to deal with an unredeemed thought is to take it captive to the obedience of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within us.

So the next time that a negative, condemning, self-centered, unredeemed thought comes into your mind, be encouraged to know that God has given you power by His Spirit to take and apprehend that thought and make it come into submission to the Lordship of Christ. It is Christ in you that is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27) and it is His plan that we all be transformed into His image with ever increasing glory as we behold His face one day at a time. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Photo by Jeff Epp

Daily Promise – October 17 – You only need to be at peace and watch what happens

Exodus 14:14 KJV

The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.


Promise #290: If you remain still, I will do your fighting for you.

In today’s promise, we have an amazing assurance that the God who spoke the entire universe into existence will fight for us if we will only remain still. The NIV Bible says this verse this way…The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” NIV

I believe there is something in the heart of God that fights on our behalf when we do not try and fight for ourself. Waiting on the Lord is not passive, it is active. When we wait on God to fight for us, we are putting ourselves in a very vulnerable position and by doing so we are demonstrating in a very practical way that we know that our heavenly Dad is the source of our help.

Does this mean that we never wage warfare on a spiritual level? After all, the Bible says that we are to ‘resist the devil and he will flee’, ‘take on the full armor of God’, etc. I believe what Exodus 14:14 is talking about is fighting in our own strength. There is a huge difference from fighting our battles in our own best efforts and fighting battles in the power of the Lord’s might.

When we learn that the battle really is the Lord’s, we can rest in His ability to save us and draw from His strength and not our own. Whatever battle you are facing today, be comforted in knowing that you have a  Father (God) and a big brother (Jesus) fighting on your behalf. You only need to be at peace and watch what happens.
Photo by Barry Adams

Daily Promise – October 16 – He looks out for us

Luke 12:6-7 KJV

6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.


Promise #289: If I look after the sparrows, I will certainly look after you.

I love this passage of Scripture where Jesus tells us how important the sparrows are to God. Even though they do not have much value to us, He will not even forget one of them. In Matthew 10:29 Jesus tells us that not even one of them will fall to the ground apart from His Father’s will. This is the value He places on a single bird!

But then Jesus goes on to to tell us that we have a value to God worth more than many sparrows! So if God looks after and watches over these little birds, how much more will He watch over you and I! Our value to God far exceeds the birds of the air who neither sow or reap or store into barns (Matthew 6:25-34) so how much more will He take care of us!!!!!

The next time you are feeling anxious about the future, just take a moment and look at a bird, or squirrel, or a tree for that matter. God provides for all that He created because that is simply what fathers do. If He looks after even the most insignificant of His creation, will He not also look after you?  ~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – October 15 – We make Him very, very happy!

Zephaniah 3:17 KJV

The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice
over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.


Promise #288: I love to sing over you with loud shouts of joy.

When I go to the ocean, I love to hear the continual roaring sound of the waves crashing on the seashore. I wonder if this is just one of the ways that our God and Father rejoices over all that He made with His singing? I love this verse in the Bible because it is so jammed packed full of promises. God is mighty to save us! He rejoices over us with great joy! He will quiet us in His love! And He sings over us! All of these powerful promises are contained in just one verse.

For time’s sake, I only want to focus on the part of this promise that says that God sings over us with loud shouts of joy. The context of this verse is that there is a glorious intensity in God doing this over us. We make Him very, very happy! I wonder how many of us really grasp the joy that the Lord because of us? I believe if this revelation became more of a reality to us… that our lives make Him smile, it would change how we see ourselves.

Often when we look in a mirror, we only see the imperfections. When God looks at us, it is as if His heart skips a beat because of the joy we bring to Him. My prayer today is that you and I would have the blinders taken off of our eyes so that we might truly see ourselves in the light of God’s love and begin to experience His joy over our lives.

In Nehemiah 8:10, the Bible says that ‘the joy of the Lord is our strength’. It is His joy over our lives that will give each one of us the power to live a full, free, joy-filled life. God loves you with all His heart and He rejoices over you with loud shouts of joy!
Photo by Jeff Epp

Daily Promise – October 14 – Ask Him to teach you how to receive love from Him

1 John 4:16 KJV

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love;
and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.


Promise #287: If you make your home in love, you live in Me and I live in you.

The KJV Bible says that if we dwell in love, we live in God. We could also translate this to mean that if we make our home in love, we make our home in God for God is love. Think about this image for a second. Imagine if love were a house, and you were welcome to have the complete run of the place! You could go to the refrigerator any time you like…kick off your shoes in the living room and lie on the couch… etc.

If love were a house, God would want us to be comfortable living there. But my question is… Are we comfortable living in love? Are we comfortable with the intimacy and vulnerability that comes with living in love? For many of us, even the word ‘love’ might have a broken meaning. For us to learn to be comfortable living in love, God will have to redeem our understanding of what love is.

In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, we read the Apostle Paul’s description of love…
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  8Love never fails. NIV

For us to be able to comprehend the kind of love that comes directly from God Himself, we need to be comfortable on the receiving end of love. In 1 John 4:19, the Bible says that ‘we love because He first loved us’. If you want to learn how to be comfortable living in the house of God’s love, ask Him to teach you how to receive love from Him every day.

The more that we are able to receive our Father’s love, the more that we will be comfortable making our home living in love. As we live in the love that God has for us, others will see it’s impact on our lives and want to live there too!~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – October 13 – He will take care of us and all of the dreams we have hidden in our heart

Psalm 138:8 KJV

The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD,
endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.


Promise #286: I will fulfill My purpose for your life because My mercy endures forever.

In this psalm, King David makes the declaration that God will fulfill His purpose for his life because God’s great love endures forever. David knows full well that God will not abandon Him or forsake the work of His hands. The NIV Bible says it this way… The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands. NIV

God has a purpose for your life. In His unending, eternal love, He formed you with His own hands and He promises never to ever leave you. It is reassuring to know that God has a unique plan for each of us that He has committed to fulfill. Sure there are many bumps and bruises on the road to our destiny, and at times we can get side-tracked.

But if we have entrusted our lives to the living, loving God, we can rest in His promise to take care of us and all of the dreams we have hidden in our heart. David was confident that the LORD would fulfill His life’s purpose because God’s mercy endures forever. May you and I have the same confidence in our God and Father today. God will fulfill His purpose for you for His love endures forever!

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – October 12 – He is the complete expression of every possible type of love

Isaiah 49:15 KJV

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion
on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.


Promise #285: Even if your mother forgets you, I will never forget you.

The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:16 that God is love. He is the complete expression of every possible type of love. A father’s love, a friend’s love, the love of a bridegroom, etc., for 1 John 4 says that all love comes from God. In today’s promise, we see a feminine expression of the love of God that expresses His mother’s heart.

In this verse, God is posing a question… Can a mother forget the baby at her breast? Is it possible for her to not have compassion on the child that she has birthed? God goes on to say, even if she forgets you, I will not forget you! The following verse in Isaiah 49:16 continues as God tells us that He has engraved us on the palms of His hands.

What a promise that we have! No matter what happens in this life, no matter what form of rejection we receive… even from our parents, God will not reject us! He will never forget us because He loves us with a father’s love and He loves us with a mother’s love too!

May the love of God overwhelm us today with every love that we need. A father’s love, a mother’s love, the love of a friend, the love of a Savior… May we learn to live in this love (1 John 4:16) more and more for the rest of our lives.

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – October 10 – Because of Jesus, you are free from all condemnation

Romans 8:1 KJV

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.


Promise #283: Because of Jesus, you are free from all condemnation.

This is a wonderful promise that we can all take to heart. There is therefore now NO condemnation! Many of us struggle with feelings of shame and condemnation every day. This Scripture tells us that because of what Jesus did, we do not have to live under condemnation any longer.

However, when you read the KJV Bible translation of Romans 8:1, it seems like there is a bit of a disclaimer to the statement ‘There is therefore now no condemnation…” The disclaimer is …for those who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For me, when I was a younger Christian and read this verse, I felt that if I somehow was walking after the flesh, then I would be subject to condemnation.

I truly believe that the heart of this verse is better translated in the ESV translation of the Bible which says in

Romans 8:1-2…
1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. ESV

Notice that after the promise of no condemnation there is a period. The disclaimer (for those who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit) is not there. I truly believe that because of the finished work of Jesus Christ there is therefore now NO condemnation…period! The law of the Spirit of life has set us free from the law of sin and death. Hallelujah!
Photo by Barry Adams

Daily Promise – October 9 – The Pathway to real Freedom

1 John 1:9 KJV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Promise #282: If you confess your sins, I will be faithful to forgive and cleanse you.

God is faithful. God is just in all that He does. God promises to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. All that He requires is that we trust in His goodness and risk exposing our heart by confessing our shortcomings to Him. When we confess our sins, we are vulnerable and honest before our God and Father.

When we confess our sins to God, we openly declare that we are relying on His mercy to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and that we can’t do it ourselves. It takes faith and trust to live a transparent life before God, but that is the pathway to real freedom. When we keep things in the dark, those things have power over us and will keep us enslaved in one form or another. When we bring things into the light that lurk in the shadows of our heart, we experience new found freedom over those things.

The amazing thing is that God is not surprised by what we confess, for He knows us better than we knows ourselves. He does not judge us when we open our hearts to Him, but rather the opposite happens.

In Psalm 103:14-15 the NIV Bibles says…
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

When we are vulnerable and honest before God, compassion rises up in His heart towards us because He understands our frailities. Confession of our sins is for our benefit not God’s. He has already dealt with the issue of sin that once separated us through the shed blood of Jesus… once and for all!

He wants us to be completely free! Free from a guilty conscience and free from condemnation and the accusations from the enemy! So if there is anything that is keeping you from experiencing the intimacy of being with your Papa God, be assured in knowing that if we confess our sins to Him, He will be faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness! ~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – October 8 – He exchanged His life for our life

John 1:16 KJV

And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

Promise #281: I have blessed you in Christ with one outpouring of grace after another.

I love the Amplified version of this Bible verse…
For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift. AMP

In Jesus, God the Father has blessed us with grace upon grace, heaped favor upon favor on us and blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven (Ephesians 1:3). Words cannot express the wonderful, bountiful outpouring of love and blessings that God has given us through the free gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.

My prayer is that we would be able to tangibly grasp the unshakeable inheritance that is ours in Jesus Christ today. He exchanged His life for our life and made the way for us to be partakers of His divine nature and beneficiaries of all His blessings. Thank you God for your amazing grace and every good and perfect gift that comes from your hand (James 1:17)!

Daily Promise – October 7 – We are God’s Offspring

Acts 17:28 KJV

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also
of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Promise #280: Your life comes from Me because you are My offspring.

Today’s promise comes from a passage in the Bible where the Apostle Paul is debating with some Greek philosophers on Mars Hill about the existence of the one and only true God. In the midst of his conversation, Paul tells that God is so involved in their lives that they actually live and move and have their being in Him.In Colossians 1:15-17 it says this about Jesus…
 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. NIV

Every neutron and electron, every strand of DNA, is held together by the very life of the living God. In Ephesians 4:4-6, it says that there is one God and Father of us all who is over all and in all and through all. No matter if all of mankind acknowledges this truth or not, it does not change the unshakeable fact that our God is the very fabric in which the universe is held together. There is no denying it.

I have always found it interesting that when Paul was speaking to the Greeks, he quoted one of their own poets that said that ‘we are all God’s offspring’. The truth is that God created every person who ever lived. He is the very author of life. Whether we realize it or not, we are all God’s offspring through creation and it is His eternal plan that every person on the planet would become His children through redemption by the free gift of Jesus Christ!

Related articles

Back – but sick with the flu

Update as of 10-6-11:

We are back in town,  but both have the flu. Bear with us as we heal. Will be back posting as soon as possible. Be blessed. Sharon & Erick

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9-30-11

We will be away from the computer for a few days, so I posted the Daily Promises, without the devotionals attached, through October 3.

I will post the devotionals later.

Please browse through past messages for encouragement, strength, and inspiration.

Be blessed, and know that God loves you, and is just waiting with much excitement to give you a wonderful day, every day.

Sharon

Daily Promise – September 29 – You have an everlasting inheritance

1 Peter 1:3-4 KJV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

Promise #272: You have an everlasting inheritance reserved in heaven for you.

There are many uncertain things in this world that we live in but our everlasting inheritance is NOT one of them. Our God and our Father has secured an inheritance for every one who has received the free of gift of His Son’s life that is incorruptible, undefiled and will never fade away.No matter how unstable things become around you, you can bank on this promise to be unshakeable! Because of the abundant mercy of the Triune God, we can hope in a special place in heaven that is reserved just for us! It is more certain than the ground that you are standing on right now.

Father, we thank you for your abundant mercy expressed through the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus! When times get tough and the near future looks bleak, may we lift up our eyes to see the amazing future that is in store for us and may we be filled with hope knowing that you really are a faithful Father!
Photo by Barry Adams

Daily Promise – September 28 – We are more than conquerors through Him

Romans 16:20 KJV

And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Promise #271: I will soon crush the evil one under your feet.

In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus taught us to ask our Father to ‘deliver us from evil’. Jesus wouldn’t have told us to pray this way unless He was certain that His Father would answer our prayer to be saved from evil.

We know that in this world, we will have trouble in life because we live in a fallen world. Hurting people hurt other people and the cause and effect of a fallen humanity causes many evil things to happen. However, that does not mean that we are in subjection to the prince of the power of air. In James 4:7, the Bible says, resist the devil and he will flee from you.

In Romans 8:37, Paul says that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. As Paul continues to write the book of Romans, he goes on to say in today’s promise found in Romans 16:20, that the God of peace will soon crush the evil one beneath our feet. No matter what circumstances you are facing today, be encouraged that our God and Father will soon give us an eternal victory and crush the evil one beneath our feet! …So rest in this amazing promise and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Photo by Barry Adams

Daily Promise – September 27 – He will keep us from falling

Jude 1:24 KJV

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling,
and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

Promise #270: I will keep you from falling until you joyfully stand blameless in My presence.

One day, each one of us who has called on the name of the Lord will stand before His presence. Today’s promise encourages us that we have nothing to fear on that glorious day. Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Lord, and our Elder Brother, will present us before His Father completely faultless (blameless) on that holy day. The NLT Bible says that Jesus ‘will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.’

I love the thought that when Jesus presents us to God, He will do so with exceeding joy! The Amplified Bible describes it as… triumphant joy and exultation [with unspeakable, ecstatic delight]. It will absolutely thrill the heart of Jesus to present us blameless before His Father on the day that we will see Him face to face!

We have nothing to fear about our future. Jesus has promised to be faithful to keep us from falling and will one day present us completely blameless before His Father and our Father in triumphant joy with unspeakable, ecstatic delight! Hallelujah!!!!!!
Photo by Martin Smith

AuthorBarry Adams

Daily Promise – September 26 – God will bring comfort to you

Psalm 23:4 KJV

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Promise #269: When you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will be with you.

Today’s promise is a much loved verse from the often quoted Psalm 23. Most times, we might quote this verse at a funeral service or at another time of extreme loss and of course this verse is fitting for those occasions. At the end of our lives, it is comforting to know that God will never ever leave us.

However, I do want to ask you to think of another application of this promise… Jesus told us that except a seed falls in the ground and dies, it abides alone (John 12:24). The principle of the Christian life is a continual letting go of things, allowing them to ‘die’, only to see them resurrected again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Whether those things are dreams or desires, the principle of the cross (death, burial, resurrection) is a resounding theme in the daily Christian life.

In that context, when you are feeling like God is asking you to surrender something dear to you, when you are in a sense walking through the shadow of death for something that you have hoped for, be comforted in knowing that God is very close to you in those times of surrender and His staff and rod will bring comfort to you. Weeping may endure for the night, but joy is coming in the morning! (Psalm 30:5)

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – September 25 – God wants each and every one of us to run into His arms every time we need to be comforted!

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 KJV

3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Promise #268: I will always be close when you need My comfort.

We all need comfort. When we scraped our knee playing in the backyard, we needed the comfort of a mother or a father to simply hold us and reassure us that everything was going to be okay. When we experience extreme disappointment or the loss of a loved one, words fail… What we need is comfort.

In today’s Bible passage from 2 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul tells us that God is the Father of mercies (compassion) and the God of ALL comfort. Our God and Father is the source of ALL comfort and He wants us to be comfortable coming to Him to receive comfort whenever we need it.

Since we were created to receive comfort, we will seek it out somewhere. If we don’t receive it from God, we will receive it from other things… Food, material things, false comforts, etc. God wants each and every one of us to run into His arms every time we need to be comforted! As we receive the comfort from His loving arms, we will then be able to be an expression of that same comfort to other people when they need a comforting shoulder to cry on.
Photo by Barry Adams

Daily Promise – September 23 – He will renew our youth

Psalm 103:5 KJV

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;
so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.


Promise #266: I will enrich your life and renew your youth like the eagle’s.

Eagles like most birds, go through a molting process where they shed their old feathers and grow new ones. This process is necessary in the rejuvenation of the eagle so it can continue to remain strong. In Psalm 103:5, King David tells us that the Lord will satisfy us with good things and will renew our youth in the same way that the eagle renews his feathers.

No matter how old we get, our God and Father promises to continue to renew our inner being so that we will have a spring in our step, a sparkle in our eye, and a sense of awe and wonder about life. May each one of us hold fast to this promise and not dread our future, but look forward to the renewing process where our youth will be renewed just like the eagle’s!

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – September 22 – He will surround us with safety and give us peace

Psalm 4:8 KJV

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep:
for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.


Promise #265: I will give you a peaceful sleep surrounded by safety.

There are many things in this world that cause us to be afraid and not feel at peace. As a result,  many people struggle with sleep at night because of the numerous anxious thoughts that they have circulating in their minds.

Jesus was able to sleep on boats in the midst of storms. He is the Prince of Peace and has promised to give His peace to us. In John 14:27 Jesus says… Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. NIV

His encouragement to us today is to not be afraid. He will make us to lie down in peace and have a restful sleep surrounded by His abiding sense of safety. For all those who struggle with geting a good night’s sleep, I pray that this promise would become a tangible reality for you today.

May you go to sleep tonight not dreading a night of tossing turning. May the tangible presence of the Prince of Peace surround you and envelope you with His love so that you can feel truly safe and you can have the best sleep of your life!

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – September 21 – God will renew our strength

Isaiah 40:31 KJV

31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Promise #264: If you wait for Me, I will renew your strength.

When we think of waiting, whether it is waiting in a car for a friend, waiting in a doctor’s office for an appointment, or waiting in a check out line, we might tend to think of waiting as being a time of inactivity or passivity. After all, while we are waiting, we aren’t actually doing anything… or are we?

When we wait for somebody or something, we are actually in a posture of submission to somebody or something. For example, if you are waiting in a car for a friend, you have positioned yourself to be vulnerable to however long your friend takes to come into the car. When you are waiting in a doctor’s office, you have given the doctor and his/her staff the power to choose when your next in line for your appointment.

While we may see waiting as inactive, it is actually the opposite in many cases. For me, a self-described ‘type A personalty’, waiting can be very difficult at times. The longer I wait, the more I begin to scream on the inside for something to happen! For me, waiting isn’t passive or inactive, waiting for me is one of the most active things I can do.

In today’s promise, we read that if we wait on the Lord, He will renew our strength. When we choose to humble ourselves before Almighty God and acknowledge that it is His will and direction that we are looking for, we are positioning ourselves to wait for Him to give us the guidance we are looking for. When we wait on Him, we are honoring Him and choosing not to ‘lean to our own understanding’ as mentioned in Proverbs 3:5-6.

Waiting on the Lord is one of the most active things we can do. It can be difficult at times because we are not in control of when and where God will move. We simply wait for Him to do what He wants to do, but the promise that you and I have today is that when we wait for Him, He will be faithful to renew our strength!

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – September 20 – God’s heart is for the underdog

Isaiah 58:7-8 KJV

7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? 8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward.


Promise #263: If you help the poor, your light will shine like the dawn.

God’s heart is for the underdog. He protects the widow and the orphan and has chosen the poor of this world to inherit His kingdom. In today’s Scripture promise, God tells us that if we feed the hungry, give the poor shelter and clothe the naked, then His favor and His blessings will shine on all that we do.

The NLT version of Isaiah 58:8 says… “Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.”

What a glorious promise! If we look after those who can’t look after themselves, then God will look after us in every way possible. Our wounds will quickly heal, the light of our godliness will lead us forward and the glory of the Lord will protect our backs! God’s heart is for the underdog. In every way, we too are underdogs that God protects and provides for. May we see the world through our Father’s eyes today and see the many opportunities He presents to us so that we can be a blessing to others.

Lord help us today to see the needs around us and be a manifestation of your love, life and provision to those who are in need. Thank you that as we help others, your love and your glory will keep us safe too.

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – September 19 – God longs for our heart

Proverbs 3:9-10 KJV

9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.


Promise #262: If you honor Me with your firstfruits, you will overflow with abundance.

Today’s Scripture passage is a wonderful picture of abundance and overflow. The kingdom of God does not work like the kingdom of this world. In God’s kingdom, it is more blessed to give than receive. In His kingdom, we can never outgive the most generous person in the universe for God loves to pour back into us far more than we could possibly give to Him.

Why does God want us to give of our firstfruits? Does God need our money? Absolutely not! The Bible says that the entire earth is the Lord’s and all that it is in. God has no need of our resources whatsoever. What our God and Father longs for more than anything else is our heart …and Jesus told us that where our treasure is, there will our heart be also (Matthew 6:21).

When we honor God with the very first and best of what our hands have created, we are acknowledging that He is the source of all our blessing. When we choose to trust in His present and future supply of all our needs by giving to Him of our firstfruits, I believe it blesses His heart and moves Him to provide for us even more. It is wonderful to live in a kingdom where we don’t have to provide for ourselves, for we have a Father in heaven who knows all our needs and He delights to give us His kingdom!

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – September 18 – Do not repay evil for evil, but rather be a blessing instead

1 Peter 3:9 KJV

9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing;
knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.


Promise #261: I have called you to inherit My blessing.

In this Scripture passage, the Apostle Peter is encouraging us not to repay evil for evil, but rather be a blessing instead. If we are living with an orphan perspective, we will have to scratch and claw for everything we get in life. When people do evil things to us, we will need to respond in the same way back to them. The life of an orphan is lonely and scary. He or she is left to their own devices to manage life.The life of a son or daughter however, is quite different. They know that they are loved beyond imagination and are safe from harm. They live in the reassurance that they are blessed beyond measure and that they have a rich inheritance of blessings yet to come. In Ephesians 1:3, the Bible says that our heavenly Father has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven. The life that we are called to live is a life of abundance and blessing.

That is why when someone acts in an ‘orphan-like’ way to us, even a brother or sister in Christ, we don’t have to respond in a similiar way, but with blessings. May each one of us be so filled with the revelation that we have been called to inherit a blessing, that we become an absolute outflow of blessings to others!

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – September 17 – He wants to carry our burdens

Psalm 68:19 KJV

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits,
even the God of our salvation. Selah.


Promise #260: I carry your burdens every day.

The NIV Bible translations says Psalm 68:19 this way… Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah NIV

I am thankful that our God promises to save us continually and to daily bear our burdens. When we feel the weight of the world on our own shoulders, may this promise encourage us that we are not called to carry the burdens ourselves. May we always be reminded of Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28-30 that says…

28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. KJV

If you are carrying a backpack full of worry and anxiety today, why not cast every care in that backpack on God because He really cares about you! (1 Peter 5:7)

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – September 16 – God will keep us safe in His everlasting arms

Deuteronomy 33:27 KJV

27 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms:
and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.


Promise #259: You will find safety in My everlasting arms.

God is our eternal refuge. Just think of that for a moment. There will never be a time in all eternity where you will ever be unprotected. You can feel safe and secure knowing that your God and Father will carry you in His everlasting arms forever!

When our children were little, I absolutely loved holding our kiddies in my arms. It felt so good to me and I think our children enjoyed the safety and security of that feeling too. If as fathers, we were meant to be a foreshadow of the true Father, then I would imagine that God would feel the same sense of satisfaction and contentment when He holds us in His big strong arms.

In Psalm 27:1, David declares … The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? NIV. The reason David wasn’t afraid of his enemies was because he was completely aware that He was being protected by the everlasting arms of God Himself. May we all be encouraged today of this tangible reality. We will find safety in the everlasting arms of our Papa!
Photo by Carl Dyck

Daily Promise – September 15 – God will keep us from evil

2 Thessalonians 3:3 KJV

But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.


Promise #258: I will be faithful to give you My strength and protection.

God is faithful. He will never leave you or forsake you and He has promised to protect you from the evil one. In a world that is full of broken promises, this is something that we can know and rely on. The NIV Bible says 2 Thessalonians 3:3 this way… But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. NIV

You can rest in the fact that you are safe and secure in your heavenly Father’s love. His Word is His bond and He is completely faithful to do all that He promises. May faith rise up in our hearts today to believe that God is who He says He is and that we are who He says we are!

We don’t have to defend ourselves from the onslaughts of an orphan world system because He has promised to defend and protect us! …After all, He is our Dad and that is what fathers do!
Photo by Martin Smith

Daily Promises – September 14 – God stoops down to make us great

Psalm 18:34-35 KJV

34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. 35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.


Promise #257: I will train you for battle with My shield of salvation.

The Bible says that we are to fight the good fight of faith and to put on the full armor of God so that we can stand against the enemy. It also says that the kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by force. There is no question that there is a battle going on in the spiritual realm and we are called to take our stand and resist the enemy.

In today’s promise, King David paints an intimate picture of how God Himself trains him for battle. I really like the NIV Bible translation of Psalm 18:34-35…34 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.35 You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. NIV

What a picture of intimacy! Even in the midst of preparations for battle, David speaks of God that gently trains him and sustains him and even stoops down from heaven to make him great. No matter what battle you are facing today, be comforted in knowing that it is God Himself that will equip you to fight the good fight, for the battle belongs to the Lord.  He will stoop down beside you, give you His shield of victory and His gentleness will make you great!

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – September 13 – He will be the voice behind us

Isaiah 30:21 KJV

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying,
This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

Promise #256: I will be the voice behind you, guiding you in the way you should go.
Have you ever come to a fork in a road and not sure which road to take? I know that often when I have gone hiking, there inevitably comes a time on the trail where it splits off to the right and then left and I am not always sure which path to take. Wouldn’t it be nice if at that exact moment, you had a trail guide standing behind whispering in your ear what to do?

In today’s Bible promise, God is saying that He is right behind us and He will tell us the way we should go. What a comforting thought to know that we are not left on our own to figure things out. God has committed to walk with us and to at times carry us on our life’s journey. Sometimes when I struggle to hear my Father’s direction, I wonder if it is because there is so many other thoughts swirling around in my brain that I just fail to hear His still small voice?

Experts say that we all have tens of thousands of thoughts chattering in our brain on an average day. Perhaps all that noise is drowning out the gentle, quiet whisper of our heavenly Dad who is standing behind us, willing to tell us where we should go if we will only quiet our mind to listen? This is why I think it says in Psalm 46:10 to ‘be still and know that I am God’.

The next time you need to know what path to take, why not quiet yourself (to the best of your ability) from all the chattering and opinions that swirl in your thought life and listen for the still small voice behind you? God has promised to be there and He has promised to be the voice that will direct you in the way you should go.

~ Barry Adams

Before you even call out to God, He will answer you

Isaiah 65:24 KJV

24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer;
and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Promise #255: Before you even call out to Me, I will answer you.
Have you ever felt that God seemed a million miles away sometimes when you prayed? I think all of us have struggled with the feeling that our prayers seemed like they were bouncing off the ceiling at one time or another. I am not sure why we sometimes struggle with these feelings of being distant to God when we pray. Whatever the reason, it is a time where we can exercise our faith and demonstrate that we believe God despite our perceptions (Hebrews 11:6).

Even though we go through these times of feeling isolated and distant, the truth is that God is not distant when we pray. God is closer to us than we could possibly imagine and today’s promise from Isaiah 65:24 is an encouragement that He will answer us even before we pray the prayer! In Matthew 6:8, Jesus affirms this promise by telling His disciples that their heavenly Father knows what they need before they even ask Him for it!

My prayer for each one of us today is that faith will rise up in our hearts when we pray to our heavenly Father because we know that He is fully engaged with us and is ready to answer even before we call out to Him!

Daily Promise – September 11 – God is not far from you

Acts 17:27 KJV

That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him,
and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

Promise #254: Reach out and you will touch Me for I am not far from you.

The Apostle Paul was speaking to a bunch of philosphers on Mars Hill in Athens when he made this statement. This Bible verse is part of a discourse where Paul addresses a statue to an ‘unknown god’ and proceeds to tell all the listeners about who God really is. I really like this verse and the next verse in Paul’s proclamation of the gospel in the NIV Bible…

Acts 17:27-28
27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

Paul tells these dear pagan folks that God is so close to them that they can actually just reach out and they can touch Him for ‘in Him we live and move and have our being’.
The truth is that the universe does not contain God,
God contains the universe!
In Colossians 1, the Bible says that Jesus is the glue that holds everything together. Every proton, every electron, every atom… all held together by the very presence of Jesus.

As you ponder this promise today, may God give you the awareness of the nearness of His presence to you. He is not far off in a distant land, but closer than you could possibly imagine for in Him we live and move and have our being. So reach out today and encounter the love of your Father that is with you wherever you go.

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – September 10 – Your old life has ended

2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Promise #253: Your old life has ended and now everything is new in Christ.

Just think of this promise. Everything of your old life has ended and all things have become new. In this Bible passage, the Apostle Paul isn’t talking about our natural life but our spiritual life. When we received the free gift of Jesus Christ into our lives, there was a transformation that happened on the inside of each one of us.

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead gave new life to our spirit man and we became baptised into the body of Christ. At that very moment, everything of our ‘old nature’ died, and a new life began. While this is a wonderful picture of our salvation, many of us still struggle with remnants of our old ways seemingly still alive and well in our soul.

Old thought patterns, familiar false beliefs, etc. seem to dominate our minds. The truth is that while these struggles are real, in actual fact, they are but just residue from our former life. The only power that they continue to hold over us is the power that we give them by agreeing with these thoughts. That is why we are called to not be conformed to this world any longer but transformed by the renewing of the mind (Romans 12:1-2).

May today be the day when our inner man, a new creation in Christ, rises up and declares the truth of who we truly are! May God give us the courage today to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ and rise up and receive our destiny as a joint-heir of Jesus. The truth really is that our old life has ended and all things have become new in Jesus Christ our Lord!

Daily Promises – September 9 – God has a poor memory

Hebrews 8:12 KJV

12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness,
and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

Promise #252: I will forgive your sins and then forget them.

God is Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient. He is all powerful, He is everywhere and He is all knowing. Yet the God who created the heavens and the earth with just the sound of His voice has decided to have a poor memory when it comes to our sin. In today’s promise, God says that He will forgive all of our sin and then forget them.

The One who is limitless in every way, has chosen to intentionally forget every mistake, every failure, every time we have hurt Him and others because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Sometimes I wonder if I actually live each day in the knowledge that God has forgiven me so completely that He can’t even remember one time when I have sinned.

As Paul the Apostle said, “Do we keep on sinning that grace abound? God forbid!” However, if we allow the full weight of this promise to seep deep into our hearts, we won’t be continually re-counting our sin over and over in our own minds and perhaps in our prayers. Because of our Father’s great mercy, He chooses to forgive and then forget. Let us embrace the words of Paul in Philippians 3:12-14 today and choose to forget the things that God forgets…

12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. NIV Bible

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – September 8 – Simply because He loves us

Ephesians 2:4-5 KJV
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,
(by grace ye are saved;)

Promise #251: I made you alive in Jesus simply because I love you.

Today’s promise is the very core of the gospel message. Because Father God is rich in mercy, He has loved us with a love that is immeasureable. He has set a value on each one of our lives that is beyond our comprehension. In His great kindness, God saw fit to make us alive in Jesus Christ even when we were His enemies, dead in our sin.

By the unmerited favor of our God and Father and by the sacrifice of our savior and Lord Jesus Christ, we are saved from eternal separation from the Godhead. The motivation for such a great salvation is simply the love that God has for us. We don’t know why He decided to love us and sacrifice all that He had to gain our love, we just know that He does.

My prayer is that not one of us would miss the incredible simplicity of God’s heart for humanity. His motivation to save us was rooted and grounded in His love and great mercy. Period. He is not looking for servants, but sons and daughters. That is why Jesus died for you and I.  So that you could be part of His family. May we all be in awe today of the salvation that has been so freely given to each one of us.

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – September 7 – You will have everlasting joy

Isaiah 61:7
7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion:
therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.

Promise #250: I will give you a double portion of your inheritance in exchange for your shame. 

In the Hebrew tradition, the eldest son of the family would receive a double portion of the family’s inheritance. So if I understand it correctly, if there were 5 heirs, the inheritance would be divided 6 ways and the eldest son would get 2/6, or double the inheritance that his brothers and/or sisters received.

Isaiah 61 is a prophetic declaration of freedom pointing to the day when Jesus would come to the world and be the fulfillment of all the promises made in this amazing chapter of the Bible. You can read more about this in Luke 4:14-20 if you like. Isaiah declares that the coming Messiah will bring freedom to the captives, comfort for the grieving and beauty for ashes. He always declares that we will exchange our shame for a double portion of our inheritance!

Since the double portion belongs to the eldest son, we know that this promise is referring to us sharing in the inheritance of our elder brother, Jesus Christ. No longer do we need to carry the stigma of shame! God has made us heirs of inheritance and joint heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:15-17). May the reality of all that is proclaimed in Isaiah 61 become a tangible benefit in your life today. Instead of shame, you will receive a DOUBLE PORTION of your inheritance!
Photo by Barry Adams

Daily Promise – September 6 – He will carry us in His arms

Deuteronomy 1:31
31 And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee,
as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.

Promise #249: I will carry you in My arms just like a father carries his child.

The NIV Bible says this verse this way… “There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.” This is one of those very clear pictures in the Old Testament of God’s Fatherheart for the nation of Israel. I find it interesting that from God’s perspective, He saw Himself as actually carrying each Israelite just like an earthly father would carry his son.

I wonder what that would have looked like in the eyes of God? Would God have been cradling Israel in His big strong arms? Would He have been lifting up Israel over His head so that the nation could sit on top of His shoulders? Perhaps there would be many ways for God to carry Israel, depending on their situation. When they were grieving… When they were taking new territory… When they were afraid… God was always there to hold them and carry them through each season, whether they were even aware that He was holding them or not.

The truth is that no matter how difficult life gets, it is God who is carrying us through every adversity. We might not be aware of how close He is always to us, but that does not change the reality that He is holding us very close all the days of our lives. May each one of us feel the warmth of His embrace today.

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – Your life is written in God’s special book

Psalm 139:16
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect;
and in thy book all my members were written,
which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

Promise #248: All the days of your life are written in My special book. 

I like this Bible verse best from the NIV Bible which says… “your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” What an amazing promise! Before our body was even formed, the eyes of God were fixed upon us. Before we even breathed one breath, God had created a special book that contained each day of our lives.

In the ministry that God has called us to, we hear often that people struggle to feel like they belong in this world. If they were born out of an unplanned pregnancy, they might feel like their life was not intentionally planned. We have heard from some dear people that they felt they were a mistake!

If you struggle with any of these feelings, it is my hope and prayer that this promise would settle once and for all the irrevocable truth that it was God Himself who planned your life before the foundation of the world. It was not your parents that ultimately planned your existence, but your loving heavenly Father.

Every one of your days was written in His special book before one of them came to be! What attention to detail! What indescribable love! You were and are wanted by the Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has a plan to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a bright future (Jeremiah 29:11).

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – September 3 – We don’t have to be afraid any longer

Zephaniah 3:17 KJV
17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice
over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

Promise #246: You can rest in My love, for I have power to save you.

I know that I say many of the promises are some of my most favorite, but this is really one of my favorite Old Testament Bible passages.
What a picture of God’s intimate heart for His kids! He says that He lives right in the midst of us, that He is mighty to save us and He rejoices over us with great joy and singing!

This is one of those amazing images in the Bible that speaks of a Father’s delight for His children. I believe that the connotation here is that God Himself is actually almost not able to contain Himself with the joy that He has for us.

My prayer today is that each and every one of us would be able to let this image go deeper into our hearts than it has ever gone before.

God is excited over your life! He is so happy that He sings His love songs over you and me.

Part of the promise of this one Bible verse is that because God really does love us and He has power to save us, we can rest in His love.
We don’t have to be afraid any longer.
He is big, He is strong and He is mighty to save us!
All we have to do is yield to His love today and rest.
~ Barry Adams

Daily Promises – September 2 – Every heart beat and every breath comes from the goodness of our heavenly Dad

Acts 17:24-25 KJV
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

Promise #245: I give life and breath to all things.

In today’s promise, we read the Scripture passage where the Apostle Paul is speaking to some Greek philosophers on a place called Mars Hill. In this place of pagan worship, they have many false gods that they have erected statues and monuments to.

Paul, being the relevant kind of guy that he was, stopped at a simple monument created for ‘the unknown god’. It was there that Paul began to reveal some of the mysteries who the ‘unknown god’ actually was. Paul goes on to preach the good news to these philosophers and reveals that He is actually the only true God and that He does not need to be worshipped through statues and idols as He is the very one that gives life and breath to all things!

The reality is that our God and Father is not unknown and nameless. If we want to know what God is like, all we have to do is look at His Son, Jesus Christ. In John 14:9, Jesus says that anyone who has seen Jesus has seen the Father. Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus is the exact representation of the Father’s being.

The wonderful news about today’s promise is that the God and Father of all creation (Ephesians 4:6) continues to be very involved in everything He created. He is not distant and unconcerned, for every heart beat and every breath comes from the goodness of our heavenly Dad.
Photo by Carl Dyck

No matter what the day brings, rest in His love

Genesis 1:1 KJV
In the beginning
God created the heaven and the earth.

Promise #244: I spoke the universe into existence.

Right at the beginning of the Book of all books, the Bible says… “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” This statement alone could be enough to bring peace to any unsettled heart. God is in control. And He has always been in control.

He is the One who spoke the entire universe into existence with just the sound of His voice. He is the Almighty God. He is the All Powerful God. He is the All Knowing God. Whenever you feel that your life is spinning off its axis, be comforted in knowing that our God and Father has always been and always will be.

This is the same Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent Creator who has decided to love you with all His heart (1 John 3:1). No matter what forces oppose you today, be comforted in knowing that the God who spoke the universe into existence is in your corner!

Daily Promises – August 31 – You can look forward . . .

2 Peter 3:13 KJV
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise,
look for new heavens and a new earth,
wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Promise #243: You can look forward to the new heaven and earth that I have promised.

We have something really big to look forward to! … A new heaven and a new earth! If that is not cause for celebration, I don’t what is! All of the reminders of a fallen world will be gone and we will have the privilege of enjoying an untainted new residence for all of eternity! No matter how difficult our circumstances become, we all can hold onto the promise of eternal life.

In Jeremiah 29:11, God promises a hope and a future to all who belong to Him. The next time you turn on the television and watch the news, don’t lose heart! There is a time coming when our God and Father will make a new heaven and a new earth for us! How amazing will that day be for all those who are in Christ!

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promises – August 29 – You can Celebrate!

Luke 10:20 KJV
20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you;
but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Promise #241: You can celebrate because your name is written in heaven.

In this Scripture passage, Jesus is telling His disciples not to rejoice because the demons submit to their authority, but rather rejoice because their names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. I believe the core of what Jesus is saying in this passage is simply this… relationship supercedes authority.

Though signs may follow us wherever we go on this side of heaven, the very reason for this demonstration of the authority that God has entrusted to us is because we belong to Him. The very fact that our names are written in heaven means that we will live with God Himself for all eternity and that is cause for lots of celebrating!

Though we may walk in the miraculous power of God, let us never forget that the very essence of why God saved us was not for works but for relationship. In Matthew 7:22-24 Jesus warns there will be some people who walked in miraculous signs and wonders in Jesus name who never knew Him. To ‘know’ Jesus is to be intimate with Him and that is the very reason why we were saved.

So no matter what amazing works God has you do today, do not rejoice because of the works themselves, but because your name is written in the halls of heaven where you will live with God forever!

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promises – August 27 – He will shield us with His favor

Psalm 5:12 KJV
12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous;
with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

Promise #239: I will bless My righteous ones and shield them with My favor.

When someone has favor from the king, everyone in the kingdom knows it! Wherever they go, all of the royal subjects would recognize that this special person lives under the blessing of the king.

What do you think it would feel like to be shielded with favor from a king?

The truth is that we already have that kind of favor on our lives right now!

The King of kings is not only our king, but He is our elder brother too! We are part of His family and co-heirs with Him in His Father’s kingdom.
We are called to live a life where we look on the unseen and the eternal,
not the seen and the temporal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)

If we could see into the reality of the kingdom,

we would see the favor that God has already placed on us,
that encompasses us wherever we go!
Angels who are ministering servants to the heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:14), going before us and behind us…
Just because we are God’s kids and part of His amazing family.

May our God and Father open up our eyes today to begin to see into the unseen realm so that we can experience the tangible sense of His blessings and favor that surround us like a shield.

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promises – August 26 – You shall obtain mercy if . . .

Matthew 5:7 KJV
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Promise #238: I will show mercy to those who are merciful to others.Even in secular surroundings, there is an often quoted verse from Jesus that we call the ‘golden rule’.

Do unto others as you would like others to do unto you.
Even the world recognizes that this is a universal principle.
Mercy works the same way. There is a promise for mercy for those who are merciful to others.

It is that simple.
How much mercy do I need in my life?
Do I need just a little, or a lot? 
And of course my answer is always…
“I need as much mercy as I can get!”The way that I can walk in mercy (for myself) every day is by simply extending mercy to those around me.

The person who cuts me off when I am driving,
the miserable store clerk,
the friend who might have offended me in some way.
If I forget that I need mercy myself,
I may forget that I need to extend mercy to others. Think of the areas that you need mercy in your own life.

For your shortcomings, for your failures, etc.
Do you want mercy to cover every area where you fall short?
Then shower mercy on others on every occasion
because mercy is receiving something we don’t deserve.We know that God’s love for us is unconditional and we can’t do anything to earn or deserve it.

However, there is a principle in God’s kingdom that is at work
everytime we sow something…
because what we sow, we will eventually reap.
I know that I need mercy today,
so I pray that I will have the wisdom to sow mercy wherever I go!

Daily Promises – August 25 – God will keep us safe from the evil one

1 John 5:18 KJV

18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not;
but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.


Promise #237: I will keep you safe from the evil one.I really like the second part of the NIV Bible translation for this verse – the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. The NLT translation says it this way – for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.

When we are born of God, we are safe. We have no reason to fear because Jesus Himself is our protector. This Bible verse says that the evil one cannot touch us. What a promise! In the world we live in, there is much to be afraid of, so much uncertainty that can keep people living in a state of fear. But we are not of this world, we are born of God. In John 3:9, the Apostle John says that God’s seed remains in us, His very DNA.

So be of good courage today because you have nothing to fear. For God has promised to keep you safe and secure in His loving embrace.

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promises – God is pleased when we share with others

Hebrews 13:16 KJV

16 But to do good and to communicate forget not:
for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.


Promise #236: I am pleased when you share with others.

I really like the NIV Bible translation of this verse – And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. When our children were younger, it always grieved my heart when they didn’t get along. I didn’t like having to be a referee at the dinner table or to break up arguments in the backyard.

As a father, I wanted my children to love each other, to live in harmony, share nicely and be kind to one another. I really don’t think our heavenly Father is any different. In this passage of Scripture, especially in the NIV passage, the writer of Hebrews reminds us not to forget to do good and share with others, because these are the things that make God happy.

In a world with thousands of Christian denominations, I think God’s kids have a tendency to major on the minors in our Christian walk rather than focusing on the things that really touch His heart. The sacrifices in every day life that make Him smile are simply the good things we do for others. I want to keep this in mind today as I go about my daily routine, because I want to make my Dad smile.

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promises – August 23 – Joy comes in the morning

Psalm 30:5 KJV

5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life:
weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.


Promise #235: Your sadness may last for a night but joy will come in the morning.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, it says that there is a season for all things. There is a time to weep and there is a time to rejoice. There are times of intense hardship and there are times of rest and peace. Today’s promise from Psalm 30:5 is really speaking to those who are struggling right now. When I read this passage of Scripture, in my heart, I hear God saying “Dont’ give up! Keep on going! Joy is coming soon!”

In the midst of any trials you may face today, be encouraged in knowing that they are only temporary. Joy is coming, so don’t lose heart! It is in these dark times that we learn just how close God is to us. A good friend of mine once said that the Gardener (Father God) is never closer to the branch than when He is pruning it (John 15:1-2).

My prayer for each one of us today is that even in the midst of our trials and tribulations, we will feel close to our Papa and His promise that our sadness will be gone before we know it.  May each one of us will cling to the hope that joy is indeed coming in the morning!
Photo by Glen Bylsma

He binds up the brokenhearted

 

Isaiah 61:1-2 KJV

1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;


Promise #233: I bind up the brokenhearted and I will comfort all who mourn.

This is the Bible passage that Jesus read in the temple that affirmed His calling at the start of His public ministry. (Luke 4:14-21) When you read the whole Isaiah 61 chapter in the context of Luke 4, we can read that it was actually God the Father who sent His own Son into the world to proclaim the good news of the kingdom.

The message of the kingdom is simply this… Good news for the poor. Healing for the broken hearted. Freedom for the captives. Wide open spaces to those imprisoned. Comfort for the grieving. And so much more.  This is why Jesus came 2,000 years ago and it is the same reason why the Holy Spirit is with us today.

If you are hurting, just open up your heart to the Holy Spirit and let the love of God bind up your broken heart. If you are grieving, let the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort bring His everlasting comfort to your mourning. If you are imprisoned, let the Lion of Judah set you free from all that keeps you in chains!
Photo by Jeff Epp

 

Daily Promises – August 20 – In time, God will heal our wounds

Job 5:17-18 KJV

17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth:
therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
18 For he maketh sore, and bindeth up:
he woundeth, and his hands make whole.


Promise #232: Do not despise My discipline, for in time I will heal your wounds.

You may be reading today’s promise and wonder why I would have ever chosen a Bible passage about discipline and wounding to be part of 365 Promises. We don’t hear too many sermons preached about the discipline of the Lord and if we do, they may be skewed from the perspective of the punishment from an angry God.

When many of us think of the word ‘discipline’, we think of our own life experiences with our parents, teachers, authority figures, etc. This does not usually bring up warm feelings of love and tenderness but feelings of guilt, shame and pain. In Hebrews 12:4-11, the writer encourages us not to despise the Lord’s discipline for God is treating us like His sons. God does not discipline us in anger but in absolute unconditional love.

Every son (or daughter) receives discipline. Receiving discipline is part of the evidence that we do indeed belong to God. The root word of discipline is disciple, which at its heart, is training. God is training us to become like Jesus and walk in His ways. In this Hebrews passage, the writer does acknowledge that no discipline is pleasant at the time, but it results in a harvest of righteousness.

In today’s promise, we have an assurance that though we may be enduring hardship now, there is a promise of healing for all our wounds to come. My prayer is that we would not see God’s discipline through the lens of how we were disciplined by authority figures in our lives. I pray that we would actually value the loving discipline from God and gladly submit to the Father of our spirits so that we can live a full life. (Hebrews 12:9)

~ Barry Adams
Photo by Steve Taylor

 

Daily Promises – August 19 – God will make us fruitful in our old age

Psalm 92:13-14 KJV

13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;


Promise #231: I will make you fruitful in your old age. 

I want to finish my life well. In Hebrews 12:1-2, we are called to throw off all the things that hinder us and the sin that so easily entangles us to run our race. I am not sure how many days I have left on this side of heaven, but I want each one of them to mean something from an eternal perspective. If possible, I want to increase in the anointing, I want to increase in effectiveness, I want to increase in fruitfulness as I get older.

Today’s promise says that fruitfulness will abound in old age for those who are sons and daughters to the Father. If you have every visited a seniors’ home, that is not always the case. Unfortunately for some people, as they get older, they experience more disappointment and disillusionment about the very meaning of life. Regret and bitterness can grow into a very bitter root.

But this is not so for those who are called by God to live a fruitful life! Let’s all claim this promise for ourselves and our loved ones today! Father, we thank you that our fruitfulness will bring glory to you, not only today, but for the rest of our lives. May fruit abound in me today! In Jesus’ name I pray.
Photo by Barry Adams

Daily Promises – August 16 – No one can stand against you

Romans 8:31 KJV

31 What shall we then say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us?


Promise #228: If I am for you, no one can stand against you.
This is one of my favorite promises of all time! If God is for us, who can be against us. I feel like there is nothing that I can add to this amazing promise. The God who created the universe, the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent everlasting Father is on your side. He is for you! He has placed all of heaven’s resources on your side simply because you are joined to Jesus Christ and are part of His family.

In this orphan world system, many things will oppose us, but none of these things can possibly stand against our God and Father for nothing will ever separate you from His love.

Nothing!

Death can’t.

Life can’t.

Angels can’t.

Demons can’t.

The present.

The future.

Nothing in all creation will ever separate you from the love that God has for you in Jesus Christ! (Romans 8:35-39)

God is for you so no one can stand against you.

~ Barry Adams

Photo by Jeanne Costello

Daily Promises – August 15 – God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness

Isaiah 40:29 KJV

29 He giveth power to the faint;
and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.


Promise #227: I will give power to the exhausted and I strengthen the weak. 

We live in an upside down kingdom where the first will be last and the last will be first. The greatest will be the least and the least will be greatest. In 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, the Apostle Paul says that God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 

There is something in the heart of God that rushes to the defense of those who can’t defend themselves, to those who have no illusion of their own personal power. We see that at work in Paul’s own life when he was struggling with a ‘thorn in the flesh’ that just wouldn’t go away (2 Corinthians 12:6-8). This is when Jesus appeared to Paul and said that God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. 

So if you are feeling powerless today, be comforted in knowing that God gives power to the weak and those who are feeling exhausted. You are in a good place for the strength of God to be revealed in you and through you. 

~ Barry Adams

 

Daily Promises – August 13 – Forgiveness and healing are among God’s many benefits

Psalm 103:2-3 KJV

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;


Promise #225: Forgiveness and healing are among My many benefits.

When a person is interviewing for a new job, one of the questions that they would typically ask is “Could you tell me about the benefit package for this job?” Different jobs have different benefits. Health care, dental plans, retirement plans, etc. In this promise, David is worshipping God and reminding himself not to forget all of the many benefits that come as part of the package when we are in relationship with God. In verse 3, David declares two of these benefits… Forgiveness and healing.

It is interesting that David needs to remind himself not to forget all God’s benefits. The Lord exhorted the Israelites to not forget all the miraculous things that He had done for them in the past. That is why they created monuments of His goodness and annual feasts… so they would remember and not forget.

In Luke 22:14-20, Jesus shares the passover supper with His disciples and encourages them to remember Him every time they partook of the bread and the wine. It was important to Jesus that His disciples didn’t forget the price that He was going to pay for their complete salvation.  For it is in the remembering of Jesus death, burial and resurrection, that we continue to partake of the fullness of His life. My encouragement to you today is to bless the Lord with all your soul and don’t forget all His many benefits!

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promises – August 14 – Rest in the Lord

 

Psalm 37:7-9 KJV

7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.


Promise #226: If you rest in Me and wait patiently, you will inherit the land.

This is a call to rest and wait. In the culture that we live in, these are two of the most difficult things that we can do. Hebrews 4 speaks of a Sabbath rest that God wants us to enter into where we will cease from our own works and enter into God’s rest. While this promise seems simple enough to accomplish, there is something in the human heart that struggles to truly rest. I am not talking about having a siesta or taking a vacation, but a rest in the very core of our hearts where we cease from all striving. 

When we come to the place of learning to rest in the very center of our being, we will cease from our own human initiatives and position ourselves to simply wait for the Lord to work on our behalf. This is not a place of passivity because we have to work at entering into this place of rest. We will only allow ourselves to enter into this place when we are convinced that we no longer have to strive to find acceptance in the loving embrace of our God and Father. 

In my opinion, to truly learn to rest and wait patiently for the Lord is one of the highest forms of trust that we can demonstrate. It is in this place that we realize that we don’t have to protect ourselves, provide for ourselves, initiate for ourselves, etc., because we have a God who is head over heels in love with us and He has promised to work on our behalf. All He asks is that we learn to rest in Him and wait patiently for Him.

Today’s promise says that when we do learn to rest and wait patiently for the Lord, we will inherit the land! Not because of anything that we do, but because of the goodness of our heavenly Dad. May the Holy Spirit show each one of us how we can more fully enter in that place of rest and trust so that we can wait on the Lord and see our inheritance released. 

~ Barry Adams