“Standing on the Promises”

Psalm 128:1-6

“Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!  You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;  you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.  Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.  Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life!  May you see your children's children!  Peace be upon Israel!”

Do you recall singing this Hymn?  “Standing on the Promises” the first lyrics went like this;

“Standing on the promises of Christ my King Through eternal ages let his praises ring Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing Standing on the promises of God.”  

That is what King David is doing; he recalls the Promises God made to Abram in Genesis 12:1-3.  “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.   And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Our Father is a promise keeper, but so many of us cannot stand on the promises if we do not open the Word of God and apply them to our life.  As I read this, our President popped into my mind and his act of accepting Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel.  Many Presidents had made that promise, but not one of them honored their word.  President Trump did so, and in doing so, is being blessed.  Let me remind you that we also are experiencing as a nation the blessing of our President, most jobs ever, an excellent economy that is blessing all people, yes, it is vital to bless Israel. 

I find it of interest that often we have such high expectations for our leaders and such low hope for ourselves.  As I look at the men in Scripture that God used, all of them seem to fall short of the mark.  I only found a few of the prophets of God, like Isaiah, who understands the fear of the Lord; listen to his words in Isaiah 6:5.  “And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”  Do you not understand, we are that kind of people, and only when we receive the promises of God the Father and stand on and obey as Isaiah so well stated in verse five?  Jesus is the only answer, and He has made you promises, maybe it is time you searched them out.

Let us close with,  “Peace be upon Israel!”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice