Problems Versus Promises

UV 727/10,000 Victors versus Victims, Problems versus Promises “It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfil the word that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 9 v 5 The Israelites were not any more righteous than the Canaanites. They did not deserve the land or the blessings of God. But, the Canaanites were displaced and replaced on account of the solemn promise God made to the first three generations of Israel , to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He promised to give them this land as an everlasting possession. Their faith distinguished them from the other inhabitants of the land. There are two kinds of people in all nations – people of faith and people of fate. A consistent and growing faith in God is the one habit that will transform the lives of human beings, given the fact that in the eyes of the Lord none of us is better than anyone else. The promised land is a tangible symbol of the promises of the spiritual realm or Kingdom of God that He has sworn to give us in Christ. The rule of the prince of darkness over our lives and hearts and spirits is replaced by the rule of the prince of light. We are not saved because of our righteousness or because of the integrity of our hearts but by the washing of the regeneration of the blood of Christ, the one anointed to save and to confirm the promises given to our fathers by faith, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We are saved by the renewing by the Holy Spirit who was given as a seal of the covenant that God made with those three. We have entered not a promised land but a land of promises. We and our descendants have become possessors and inheritors of the promises of God. The promises of God pre-existed our problems. But, in our lives, the problems come first and then we look for the promises to resolve the problems. Resolution does not mean the problem will be solved in toto. It could mean that we will gain an understanding of why God allowed it in our lives. Problems in our lives are opportunities or gateways into the land of promises. Without a problem, how can we test if the promise of God is true. For every problem in our lives, there is a promise of God that is a solution. A problem is a question that arises in our lives. The promise is the answer of peace given by the Lord. It is said that an apt answer to a question is like a kiss given on the lips. In other words, it is a perfect match. Therefore, praise God for His matching promises but thank God for the difficult problems. Without these problems, mankind would not even think of God on account of our inherent wickedness. Face to face with these challenges, the people of fate will say, “ This is fated to happen. Let me face it. What else can I do?” They answer the problem with yet another doubtful question. Their faith is further weakened. They become victims like the Canaanites. Face to face with these difficulties, the people of faith will say, “ God has allowed this to happen. Let me get face to face with God and ask Him for an answer- a promise from His Word.” They become victors like the Israelites. Their faith and relationship with the Lord is further strengthened. Prateep V Philip