promises, promises

When someone I know makes a promise to me, I hope that they fulfill that promise. When I make a promise to someone else, I hope that I fulfill that promise. But when God makes a promise, I can stand on it. Of that I have absolutely no doubt.

Most of the time, God speaks to me through His written word in a gentle "these words are
for all believers" way. But there have been times in my
life when God’s voice was almost audible. It made my heart pound, and I knew
that I knew that I knew that God had spoken to me and that His
words were a promise of what He meant to do specifically in my life.

In October 1997, after six months of praying for God to reveal His will regarding my writing (was I to stay in the general market or was I to move to the Christian market?), He answered me, using Ephesians 2:10. It was an amazing, memorable moment in my life. I know God called and I answered. However, that doesn’t mean everything in my writing career has been smooth sailing since. On the contrary, I’ve had many trials and disappointments and frustrations along with the blessings and successes and triumphs.

In this morning’s reading of Scripture in 2 Samuel, I arrived at David’s prayer of thanks to God for the Lord’s promise to establish David’s throne forever (which He did through Jesus). As I read the words of David’s prayer, the way he took that promise before the Lord, I felt the need to do the same. I want to go boldly before the throne as the Book of Hebrews says I should.

So I took 2 Samuel 7:18-29 and I did an RRV (Robin’s Revised Version).

Then Robin went in and sat before the LORD and prayed, "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what are my novels, that You have brought me this far? And now, Sovereign LORD, in addition to everything else, You gave me a ministry of writing for Your glory! Do You deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign LORD?  What more can I say? You know what I am really like, Sovereign LORD.  For the sake of Your promise and according to Your will, You have done all these great things and have shown them to me.

"How great You are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like You — there is no other God. I have never even heard of another god like You!

"And now, O LORD God, do as You have promised concerning me and my novels. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever.  And may Your name be honored forever so that all the world will say, ‘The LORD Almighty is God over Robin!’ And may the career and ministry of Your servant Robin be established in Your presence.

"O LORD Almighty, Father-God in Heaven, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer because You revealed to me in October 1997 that You prepared and planned my writing ministry before I was born — and that those plans are beyond anything I can imagine, hope for, or dream of!  For You are God, O Sovereign LORD. Your words are truth, and You have promised these good things to me, Your servant.  And now, may it please You to bless me and my writing so that my words of praise and encouragement and grace may continue before You. For when You grant a blessing to Your servant, O Sovereign LORD, it is an eternal blessing!"
– 2 Samuel 7:18-22, 25-29; Robin’s Revised version (based upon the NLT)

What are the promises God has made to you that you should remember and thank Him for today?

In the grip of His grace,
Robin