GOD KEEPS HIS WORD

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

“The Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.” Jos 21:43 NKJV

Three times in three verses, Joshua told the people that God did what He said He would do: (1) “The Lord gave...all...He had sworn to give” (v. 43 NKJV); (2) “The Lord gave... rest...according to all that He had sworn to their fathers” (v. 44 NKJV); (3) “Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken...All came to pass” (v. 45 NKJV). Six hundred years before this, God made a promise to Abraham: “To your descendants I will give this land” (Ge 12:7 NKJV). When Abraham died, the only land he owned was Sarah’s cemetery plot. His descendants were sharecroppers at best, slaves at worst, in Egypt for four centuries. Moses led them near but never into Canaan. God promised Abraham, “I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Ge12:2-3 NKJV). This promise was partially fulfilled in Joshua and completely fulfilled in Jesus. In Him all nations are blessed. In Him every person has hope and the possibility of redemption. No wonder the apostle Paul wrote, “All the prom- ises of God find their Yes in him [Jesus]” (2Co1:20 ESV). Our God is a promise-making and promise-keeping God. Others may make a promise and forget it. But when our God makes a promise, you can count on it: “He who promised is faithful” (Heb10:23 NIV).