Pinkie Swear thoughts <3

I have been mulling over a passage of Scripture that first jumped out at me from my morning devotions a few days ago and has since popped up in several other places. 

Walking with Jesus for the number of years I have been doing the trek, I have learned to take notice when something keeps showing up in readings or on the radio or whatever method it is brought to my attention. 

The passage is:

Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her! 

Luke 1:45

These words are in a blessing spoken by Elizabeth over Mary when she realized she was bearing the Messiah. 

As I read the words, my thoughts were that I most definitely want to believe that the Lord will fulfill His promises to me. But I also want to make sure that what I am believing is actually a promise and not just a hopeful wish. 

Mary had an angelic visitation and a growing embryo in her to validate the promise. 

There have been times when I have felt the Lord assure me in my spirit of something that He will do. I have had an assurance, not with angelic visitation, but with a firm assurance in my soul.

In those times, I have held my confidence.

But sometimes there have been all the markings of a promise and yet the nagging question remains…Is this a promise He made or one I felt He made?

I want to hold to this feeling of a promise, but the assurance is not there. There is nothing wrong with what I hope for and it definitely lines up with His will…but did He “promise” me this outcome?

Unfortunately I do not have an answer or neat check list to help us ascertain what is a sure promise. I do know that there are promises in Scripture that we can hold to. 

One is that He will never leave us or forsake us.

This is promised in both Hebrews and Deuteronomy. We could argue that He made that promise only to Joshua through Moses, but since it is a reminder added to Hebrews, I think we can safely claim it. 

However, sometimes it doesn’t feel like it. 

John the Baptizer struggled with it when he was in prison. He sent his followers to Jesus to ask Him if he was the real deal or should they be looking for another Messiah…the one who would really save the people. 

Jesus’ answer came through telling these friends of John to return to the prison that he would not be freed from and report all that Jesus was doing for the Kingdom. 

Somewhere John believed a promise that Jesus would rescue physically. 

The promise he was holding to was not being fulfilled. 

Jesus reminded him of the real promise. 

He had not left John. He had not left the mission that they were both on. But He had not promised that John would not bear the burden of prison and death.

I think of times I have wrestled with Him myself. 

I have asked why or when He was going to make good on a promise. 

And in the wrestling, I have to keep going back to what He has actually promised and hold to that, while releasing the fine print expectations I have added along the way. 

He is good and kind. 

He is faithful. 

He is loving and gracious. 

And we must study and learn what He has promised.