GOD'S GUARANTEES AND PROMISES

We can find dozens of them in God’s Word. In fact, with every reading, we’ll find at least one. Try it sometime and be supernaturally blessed.

Eternal Perspectives       by Sally Bair

Guaranteed to Last

One week two of my appliances went kaput. One was several years old; the other, quite new, should not have stopped working. Unfortunately, we can almost expect many of our purchases to fail too soon, even though we buy them in faith of their lasting value. Not all guarantees are guaranteed, either. Some manufacturers today purposely design items to become obsolete and hard to repair. It hardly pays to repair TVs anymore, let alone cell phones, DVD players, and other electronic items. No wonder the landfills are full of discarded items.

What happened to the good old days when purchases lasted for the buyer’s lifetime?  Many items came with lifetime guarantees. Even those without such guarantees still lasted for years, like our family’s old Victrola tube radio and the round-top Westinghouse refrigerator upon which it sat. Many of you probably have fond memories of similar products that played a big part in your growing-up years.

Today’s “planned obsolescence” marketing has made it easy for us to expect little in the way of dependability, quality, and usability. If we want products that last longer, need little service, and perform better, we can expect to pay a much higher price for them. If we can’t afford the higher priced, more reliable items, we must settle for those of poorer quality.

Perhaps some people view God with a similar eye, undependable or uncaring in meeting our needs. Often such a view comes from selfish, unmet expectations. Such a depressing view is sad, indeed. Such a view is also faulty and unwarranted, because God’s rock-solid dependability and faithfulness are keystones to our faith.

According to David the psalmist, “The works of His hands are verity (truthfulness) and justice; all His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.” (Psalm 111:7-8) 

What a wonderful promise!  We may not be able to count on the products we buy or even some of the people around us, but we can always count on God and His promises of peace, joy, and sustenance. He is always faithful.

Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness. Help us to remember, when we become fed up with the things of this world that don’t last, that You are eternal and Your promises are guaranteed. In Jesus’ name, amen.