Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for The Promise of the Day - The Corries on AllMusic - 1965 - The second album by the Corries and Paddie Bell.
'Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.'(ESV)
God's Good Promises for Today
After the ark of the Lord’s covenant was brought from Zion, King Solomon discussed how God fulfilled his promises to David and to the people of Israel. David, Solomon's father, had wanted to build a temple to honor the Lord, but God told him to wait and allow Solomon to create the ark of the covenant instead. The Lord promised that Solomon would sit on the throne of Israel, and since God delivered on this word, Solomon sang his praises. The Lord had kept every promise he'd made, including helping the Israelites flee Egypt. So, during his prayer of dedication to the ark, Solomon made it clear that he expected God to continue fulfilling his promises, as he had in the past.
If you fear that God won't deliver on the good promises he made to you, reflect on Solomon's prayer as well as on the words of the 19th-century evangelist Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899), founder of the Moody Bible Institute and other Christian organizations.
'God never made a promise that was too good to be true,' Moody famously said.
God Promises Not to Abandon or Ignore Us
God's promises can be found throughout the scriptures. In addition to promising to keep his word, the Lord promises to stay by our side and hear our prayers.
In Genesis 28:15, he says: 'Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.' (ESV)
At times, it may feel like God is slow to keep his promises. The Israelites, for example, were in Egypt for 430 years. But when God doesn't appear to act quickly, it is really his patience on our behalf at work.
'The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance,' according to 2 Peter 3:9. (ESV)
God promises to hear and respond to our prayers when we pray in the name of his Son and in accordance with his will. He states this in the Gospel of John as well as in 1 John.
'Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son,' he says in John 14:13-14. 'If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.' (ESV)
And in 1 John 5:14, the scripture states that we can be confident in the Lord since he will hear us 'if we ask anything according to his will.' (ESV)
Protection and Eternal Life
We can not only count on God to protect us but also to protect us and give us eternal life, according to the scriptures. Psalm 18:30 states: 'This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.' (ESV)
And God promises those who love him and are faithful to him the crown of life. 'Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.' (ESV)
Finally, as 1 John 2:25 declares, God has promised his believers eternal life.
We are not the Savior of the world, but we are meant to live and thrive in his service. Understanding our own scriptural 'prophesies' is key to fully embodying our God given potential. There are 5 promises from Scripture that God wants each of us to know today. Even though we may already be able to recite them by heart, really believing and living them can still be a challenge. So I invite you to read these words anew, words that were written about you long before your birth in our Bible:
1. God loves you unconditionally.
We live in a sinful world that is fraught with conditional promises and relationships. Sometimes even those closest to us let us down. Despite this reality, our greatest need is to be loved unconditionally. We want to be loved with a perfect, sacrificial, forever kind of love in spite of our faults by someone who knows us intimately. Further, we want to be supported and inspired by that love to not only become better people, but to also leave lasting impressions on this earth.
God provides us with that as no one else can. That's what theologians have meant over the years by saying that we have a God-shaped hole in our heart; there's a space we were created with that only God can fill. And the love we were made to need is strong and unshakable. The Apostle Paul, who founded the early church, writes, 'For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord' (Romans 8:38-39). That love claims you by faith. Wherever you are feeling unloved today, drink it in.
2. You are redeemed and have an eternal home in heaven.
When I worked as a chaplain, Psalm 121 was the most popular scripture read at bedsides. That's because the psalm describes God as our unfailing Protector who gives us an eternal home. The psalmist reassures us, 'The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand...The Lord will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.' We worship a God who never leaves us, and he wants a relationship with us both in this life and beyond. We have been blessed with the promise of heaven through faith in Jesus Christ. It is by his blood that we have been washed clean and accepted by our holy God. This redemption plan was Christ's assignment, and it was all done in love (John 3:16). And the Holy Spirit is calling you today, reminding you of all God has done for you and wants to be in your life. Look to him, hold his hand, experience his salvation.
3. God formed you with intention and knows you intimately.
The God who crafted creation and its redemption plan through Jesus also crafted you. The psalmist praises God's handiwork in Psalm 139 by saying, 'For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made...' God created you intentionally, and you are 'fearfully and wonderfully made.' Not only are you God's masterpiece, but God has a special plan for your life that even spans to the number of your days. The psalmist continues, 'Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed.' This means your existence is no mistake. God did not make any wrong moves. Isn't it amazing that the Creator of the universe knows you and formed you specially himself?
4. God's plan for your life is to prosper you, not to harm you.
Our world knows brokenness and sin, but God knows hope and restoration. One of my favorite verses in scripture is Jeremiah 29:11, 'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' God's plan for your life includes hope and a prosperous future, or one in which you thrive. Psalm 103 lists many ways that God wants to bless you. The psalmist exclaims, 'Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.' God is invested in your well-being and working toward your renewal, wholeness, and healing daily. In addition to blessing us, God has big dreams for our lives and beckons us to follow. Obedience often requires faith and risk, but God will delight in your dependence on him and always be there to support you.
5. You have special strength available to you through faith. The best resource that’s available to you is the power of Christ.
If you are facing an uphill battle, repeat this verse to yourself frequently: “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). God will never call you to a place and leave you unattended. Be assured that the God who has numbered the hairs on your head is fighting for you. His favor will surround you like a shield (Psalm 5:12). You have an insurmountable ally in our God -- for if God is for you, who can be against you (Romans 8:31)? When you boldly claim this truth with expectation, you give God the space and invitation to show his glory.
Could you imagine better 'prophesies' for your life? This is who the Bible says you are. My prayer is that our lives are a continual celebration of these promises. (And if you're in the mood to celebrate right now, click here to hear my favorite song about our scriptural identities!)
Noelle Kirchner is a Presbyterian pastor, wife, and mother of two young boys who enjoys writing when her wrangling skills aren't needed! In addition to contributing here, she has been a featured guest author at (In)courage and maintains her blog, Vocational Mothering. She believes approaching motherhood as a vocation means that you recognize the gravity of your ministry as a mom. Her passion is using her training to encourage Christian women like you! You can also find Noelle on Twitter and Facebook.