Sunday School Lesson for June 5, 2011: God Keeps His Promise (Joshua 1:1-6; 11:16-23)

Joshua 1:7
7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

Joshua 1:8
8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Joshua 1:9
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 21:45
45 Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

2 Peter 1:4
4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature



Almost everything we do, in one way or another, is based on the honor system. In some way, re absolutely rely on some absolutes remaining absolute. We learn it as babies. We depend on our parents and guardians for everything. As we grow, we become familiar with our surroundings and trust that they will remain reasonably stable and unchanged. We indentify with our family and learn to give and receive trust in our familial environment first, then as we venture out, we develop relationships with our neighbors, we make friends, we explore new places, tentatively at first, developing confidence in new surroundings and relationships. What we seek, in all this discovering, are relationships and environments that can be trusted.

What then of God? Have you trusted Him entirely? If not, why not? All of His promises are ‘Yes’ and ‘Amen’. Because He is all powerful, He can’t fail and, subsequently, He won’t fail you. He has no limitations. No boundaries. There are no obstacles He can’t overcome. There is nothing,’ no’ ‘thing’ too hard for Him. And because He loves you, there is no good thing that He will withhold from you. Nothing! What then? What are His conditions? Simple: Trust and obey Him ... with your whole heart.. continuously. Hold nothing back, give it all to Him. It’s all His anyway. Once you have released your ‘self’ to Him, relinquished your ‘self’ and your ‘selfishness’ to Him., traded your desires to Him for desire of Him you will find and experience Peace. Peace that surpasses your ability to understand. You will develop a confidence in Him that will enable and empower you to overcome every obstacle you’ll encounter. It’s a little like waking up one morning and discovering that you’ve been given ‘super powers’. Beloved, you have been given super power: God’s Grace and Favor toward you is unlimited and immeasurable. And it’s eternal. He never takes it back, never changes His mind, never regrets His decisions toward you. You never disappoint Him, ever. Isn’t that good news?

Rest assured! Rest … Assured.

Blessings,

.wb.

Psalm 106:12

12 Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise.


Romans 4:21
21And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.