March 29th - SOAP

Today's reading from the One Year Chronological Reading Plan is Joshua 19:49-21:45; I Chronicles 6:54-81.

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

Observation
God was faithful to fulfill every single promise He had given to Israel.

Application
God is faithful. He will always fulfill every promise He makes to us.

His faithfulness is not dependant on our faithfulness. As we learned through watching people's mistakes in these past books of the Bible - our failures hurt ourselves and often those around us, but they do not thwart God's purposes. He will do what He has purposed to do - despite us or through us, depending on our choices. But He will do it.

However, we have also learned that He will do it according to His time, not ours. Abraham and Sarah couldn't wait for God's timing and tried to fulfill the promise on their own, with disastrous results. Yet God remained faithful. He fulfilled His promise to them in His time, not theirs.

Caleb, on the other hand, believed God and was willing to wait for God's promise to be fulfilled - he received his inheritance, and was an incredible testimony to faithfulness himself throughout his 45 years of patiently and expectantly waiting on God.

God has a plan, and we don't always know the details of the plan or how and when He's going to fulfill it. Even when we do know the plan we don't always understand it. We don't always understand why He fulfills it the ways He does. We don't always understand why it's taking so long. But we have to accept that. And we need to accept it joyfully, with hope and expectation.

God will do what He has said He will do. Every time. In His time. Do we believe it? Because if we believe it, we need to trust Him even when we can't see what He's doing, we need to cast our cares on Him, we need to wait patiently for the fulfillment of the promise.

We need to live the slogan "He said it, I believe it, that settles it."

Prayer
Lord, we know that You alone are faithful. We know that You are truth. We have Your Word that you have graciously given us to study Your promises. We have Your Holy Spirit inside us, to guide us and convict us. Lord, give us a thirst for You. Give us a thirst for Your Word. Give us a thirst for Your promises. We know that You who have promised, are faithful. Lord, we believe, forgive our unbelief. Help to wait, joyfully and with expectant hope, for the fulfillment of all Your promises to us. Amen.

Tomorrow's passage: Joshua 22-24.