Lent Day 15

Good morning!

I pray that you had a restful night of sleep! Today, we explore the promises of God and read Psalm 119:133 and 2 Peter 1:3-11 from Scripture.

"World's Best __________!" Fill in the blank with whatever you want, but it is an exceptionally rare case to actually experience the world's best of anything. Coffee is our example this morning, but coffee can be finicky. If you run too much wasted through the freshly ground coffee, it ends up watered down. Leave it sitting a few minutes too long and you can end up with a burnt and bitter brew. By promising the "world's best" we overpromise and underdeliver.

God, on the other hand, keeps all of the promises he makes. God's promises: you are loved, your sins are forgiven, he will be with you always, you have life eternally - all in him. The only requirement to received these promises? Receive them. Say "Yes!" to God and the promises are yours!

We are asked to reflect on some of the ways God has kept his promises to you.

As I have entered ministry, God's promises have become more and more evident in the life of my family and in my life. I remember the first wedding I was asked to officiate. I didn't have a suit that fit and we were trying to figure out how to afford one when a "random" gift showed up, a gift the paid for the suit in full and left us about $0.42 in change to spare! God provided through another's generosity. Selling our home and moving into a parsonage was scary business! We didn't know what to expect or how this was going to work, but God's promises were fulfilled in the love and generosity of the people of the church. Being moved to a new church, grieving the move from one congregation and beginning to develop new life in relationships with a new congregation was borderline overwhelming! But each time I said yes to God, the promises showed up and were and are and will be fulfilled in him.

Blessings,

Pastor Jesse