2 Corinthians 1:20 - Standing on the Promises of God! (updated)
2 Corinthians 1:20 - Standing on the Promises of God! (updated)
2 Corinthians 1:20 (ICB) The "yes" to all of God's promises is
in Christ. And that is why we say "amen" through Christ to the
glory of God.
2 Corinthians 1:20 (RSV) For all the promises of God find their
yes in Him. That is why we utter the amen through Him, to the glory
of God.
Christians need comfort. While trying to help the church,.
Paul experienced suffering so intense that he was almost ready to
give up (vv. 8-9). God does not shelter His people from trials, not
even gifted apostles who are doing His will. 'Be kind," said John
Watson, "for everyone you meet is fighting a battle."
Christians receive comfort. Your God is the "God of all
comfort" (v. 3), and He will give you the grace you need when you need
it. Sufferings are not accidents; they are divine appointments, and
your Father is in complete control. You will find comfort in praying,
in claiming the promises of the Word (vv. 18-20), and in having
deeper fellowship with the Lord.
Christians share comfort. God's comfort is not given; it is
loaned, and you are expected to pass it on to others. The pain you
experience now will help you encourage others in their trials. When you
suffer, avoid self-pity, for self-pity will make you a reservoir instead
of a channel. If you fail to share God's comfort with others, your
experience in the furnace will be wasted; and it is a tragic thing to waste
your sufferings. [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren
Wiersbe re 2 Cor. 1]
All the promises of God find their yes in Christ, and through
Him we say amen." In other words, the promises of God are true in
Christ--He fulfills them, and He gives us the faith to claim them. How
grateful we ought to be for the unchanging Word of God! Often it takes
trouble and trial in our lives before we claim and trust the promises of
God. We make plans, but God overrules them. We make promises and are
not always able to keep them. But in Christ, all the promises of
God's Word find their fulfillment, and in Him we have the power to
claim these promises for ourselves and our situation. [Wiersbe
Expository Outlines]
Let us remember that no earthly circumstances can hinder the
fulfillment of God's Word. We must look steadfastly at His immutable Word
and not at the uncertainty of this ever-changing world. God desires
for us to believe His Word without other evidence, and then He is
ready to do for us "according to [our] faith." [Streams In The Desert
By Cowman re Mat.9:29]
As we communicate with God, our Father, it is good to know what
His promises to us are. If we don't know them, how can we stand on
them? It is important to know that we can ask according to His
declared will and the answer will always be YES! As this verse states,
His promises already have a stamp on them that reads "So be it"
(Amen)! What confidence we can have as we ask God to make His promises
affective in our lives. Begin today by finding promises in God's Word to
attach to your specific requests. Write them out and then memorize
them. Your faith will grow, along with your desire to pray, as you
see the promises of God made good in your own life! [In His Time;
Walk With Wisdom]
Paul preached uncompromisingly of Jesus Christ, who is the
fulfillment of all God's promises. Peace, provision, salvation, deliverance,
forgiveness--Jesus is the divine affirmation to all of God's
promises. Knowing that
his promises are true gives us strength, encouragement, and a solid
foundation for our prayers. Understanding that God has the power to do what
he has promised and that he never breaks his promises gives us
confidence as we come to his throne of grace. Meditating on his promises
reminds us of his faithfulness to all generations. But God doesn't want
us only to think on his great and precious promises or merely to
thank him for his promises. He wants us to turn them into prayers and
petitions, to ask him to continue to fulfill his promises, for they reflect
his will and purpose for our lives and for his church.
PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for your great and precious promises!
Thank you for reminding us that Jesus is the "divine Yes," the
affirmation of all your promises. Help me to sense and experience your love
behind every promise as I trust in you. And help me to pray with
confidence because I know that not one of your promises will ever fail.
QUOTE: Though the Bible be crowded with golden promises from
board to board, yet will they be inoperative until we turn them into
prayer. F. B. Meyer (1847-1929) [Praying Through The Bible By Fuller]
All of us have times in life when a crisis or problem seems
larger than we can possibly bear, and we become very fearful. Often,
however, the Lord has to get our attention through such an adversity to
cause us once more to rely solely on His promises.
Bible scholars have pointed out that the phrase "fear not"
appears in the Bible 365 times--a reassuring promise for each day of the
year. A daily dependence upon the divine promises is the only real
remedy for our human fears. Often even well-intentioned parents make
hasty promises to their children, promises they are unable to fulfill.
How different are the promises of God! They are "yea and amen," the
only assurances on which we can securely stand.... only as we stand on
God's promises are we enabled to live with purpose for God's glory.
Standing on the promises of Christ my King, thru eternal
ages let His praises ring; glory in the highest I will shout and
sing, standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises that cannot fail, when the howling
storms of doubt and fear assail, by the living Word of God I shall
prevail, standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord, bound to Him
eternally by love's strong cord, overcoming daily with the Spirit's sword,
standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises I now can see perfect, present
cleansing in the blood for me; standing in the liberty where Christ makes
free, standing on the promises of God,
Standing on the promises" I cannot fall, list'ning ev'ry
moment to the Spirit's call, resting in my Savior as my all in all,
standing on the promises of God.
Chorus: Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God
my Savior. Standing, standing, I'm standing on the promises of
God.
Claim a scriptural promise each day. Live confidently in its
truth. Carry this tune as a reminder - standing, standing, standing on
the promises of God my Savior. Standing, standing, I'm standing on
the promises of God. [Amazing Grace by Kenneth Osbeck]
God keeps every promise He makes. When we walk in intimate
fellowship with Christ, we have the assurance that every promise God has
made in Scripture is available to us. This truth should motivate us
to search the Scriptures for each promise in order to meditate upon
its potential for our life.
Jesus promised that when you ask for something in His will, He
will give you what you ask (John 16:23b). This promise is available
to every Christian. If you ask God if this promise applies to your
life, His answer is yes. If you are not now experiencing this promise,
it does not change the fact that God has said it. You may need to
seek God's answer for why His promise has not yet reached maturity in
you.
Paul claimed he had tested each of these promises in his own
life and found them all to be abundantly true. That's why he could
speak of the "exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us
in Christ Jesus" (Eph 2:7b) and the "unsearchable riches of Christ"
(Eph 3:8b). Paul had found a wealth of God's promises and enjoyed
them all in abundance.
Don't become discouraged or impatient if you are not
experiencing to the fullest all of God's promises in your life. God may want
to prepare you to receive some of the great truths He has made
available to you. Walk closely with your Lord and, in time, you will see
Him bring His promises to fruition in your life. [Experiencing God
Day by Day by Henry and Richard Blackaby re 2Co. 1:20]
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