“Remember things that happened at the beginning, long ago – that I am God,
and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. At the beginning I announce
the end, proclaim in advance things not yet done; and I say that my plan will hold, I will
do everything I please to do.  …I have spoken and will bring it about; I have made a plan,
and I will fulfill it.” ~ Isaiah 46:9-10, 11b

     I invite you to come with me on a journey this year to learn more about the qualities and attributes of The Lord God!  This month, as we enter a new year the thought of God’s promises is on my heart and mind. I think that each new day, each new year, each anniversary of something, is a new beginning; a chance for that which we hope for to be fulfilled, a chance to dream a fresh and anew. Do you ever think to yourself, “well, this year will be different because…” or “this year I’m going to do...” or “maybe this year I’ll have….”? I do. Every year I set new goals to reach for, seek opportunities to learn and grow, and each year I think to myself, “maybe this will be the year the Lord does ____ or fulfills ____ in my life” … but what I’m starting to realize is that everything in life is a process. … and even promises are fulfilled by process, through seasons, over time.

    One thing is absolute; God is faithful to fulfill His promises! What a reassuring anchor of hope in a turbulent and troubled world! What a bar of uncompromising truth to believe in the face of disappointments, delays, and denials! Each time I open my Bible, I find God’s promises. So many have been fulfilled and there are many yet to be fulfilled. But I would like for us to consider, what do we think about God, when we think about His promises? When I think about God’s promises I also find that they are an expression of His nature, His names, His very character.  I encourage you to open God’s Word and say, “Lord, reveal yourself to me, show me more of who you are” … and He will.

    What about the promise that the dreams He placed in your heart and in mine He will fulfill? God never places a deep desire and a dream without the plan to fulfill it. I am learning though, to let Him fulfill those desires in His way and in His time … not mine. I’ve spent most of my life running a head of God, and trying to run away from pain, and then looking to Him to pick up the pieces of my shattered dreams, broken heart, and messed up life. Yet He wants so much more for me, for you, than that! He promised LIFE and life more abundantly! And what I’m realizing is that abundant life comes when I trust Him. As I walk in trust, He fulfills those desires and dreams in ways I could never have imagined … and in ways that point to His unmistakable glory, sovereignty, presence, grace, and love in my life!

    Many of God’s promises are also conditional to our response, our action, or our faith. God wants to transform us from the inside out to reflect His nature and His glory. God wants to fulfill those desires and dreams He placed in my heart … in your heart; but, as a dear friend said to me so well recently, God can only do His work through us when we respond! Perhaps our emotions or our dreams motivate us, but it takes more than emotion to get us to the finish. When going through life’s struggles we need to look at and find strength in what God is doing and in who God is! And to remember that who God is and what He has promised are intricately woven together.

    When God told Nehemiah to go and rebuild the city of Jerusalem, he never swayed from doing what he was told to do despite multiple attempts of the Arabians to deceive him. Joyce Meyers says it very well:  "Nehemiah refused to accept the obstacles. He continued to move forward and do what God had called him to do. God has made a way for us to do everything He has put in our hearts. He does not put dreams and visions in us to frustrate us. We must be like Nehemiah and keep our confidence in God all the way through to the end, not just for a short while. When it looks like the obstacles in front of you are too formidable, do not give up! The completion of your project [or fulfillment of your dream] may be just one or two steps away.”

    One of my favorite promises is found in Philippians 1:6 where Paul writes, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” God promises to complete what He started! No matter what, God is not going to give up on me! He will never leave me or forsake me! His love is unconditional, His grace is unmerited on anything I do, and His mercy is new every morning! His faithfulness is reflected in His Word, in my life, in your life, in the universe He created and holds together. God is a God of completion. In Zechariah 4:6 He says, “Not by force, and not by power [or human strength], but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.” Walk in faith and positive expectancy that God is faithful to fulfill what He began and what He promised!

    ~ My prayer for you is that 2008 be a year filled with blessings as you believe God and know Him, trust Him, find satisfaction in Him, and discover deeper joy in His presence and love!

With Love in Christ, Jen Stone

© 2008 Jennifer C. Stone, Center Circle Publishing, A.S.C.A.P.  All Rights Reserved.