Boundless Promises
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boundless promises
“I do,” says the couple at the altar. It’s a beautiful picture of love for each other and of Christ’s love for His Church. And yet, we’re in a broken world, so while there is love and goodness in marriage, there is also pain, difficulty, and unfulfilled promises. Often times, divorce follows. Many young people have a hard time believing in the permanence of marriage these days because divorce is so common. And while there are Biblical reasons to divorce, even Jesus followers are getting divorced at large rates for reasons that are not Biblical, breaking the promises they made at the alter. Thank God we’re not God. When God makes us a promise, He means it. He keeps it. He Himself is unchanging yesterday, today, and forever. He will not cease to be faithful to His Word. If He says it, we can take it to the bank. You want to know something great? You’re a forgiven child of God who’s been promised eternal life with your Good Father in heaven!
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in the bible
Hosea 1:311 So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 5 In that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel.” 6 Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call her LoRuhamah (which means “not loved”), for I
will no longer show love to Israel, that I should at all forgive them. 7 Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the Lord their God, will save them.” 8 After she had weaned LoRuhamah, Gomer had another son. 9 Then the Lord said, “Call him LoAmmi (which means “not my people”), for you are not my people, and I am not your God. 10 “Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ 11 The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together; they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezebel. 2 Timothy 2:1113 11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
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Questions
1.) Do you have a hard time making promises or trusting other people’s promises? 2.) What happens to you when someone breaks a promise? 3.) What are some of the promises God has made in the Bible and to us? 4.) What does it mean to you that God always keeps His promises? Whenever you read the Bible, ask yourself these three questions: 1. What does this tell you about God? 2. What does this tell you about yourself and the world? 3. How is this going to change who you are and how you live?
boundless promises
“I do,” says the couple at the altar. It’s a beautiful picture of love for each other and of Christ’s love for His Church. And yet, we’re in a broken world, so while there is love and goodness in marriage, there is also pain, difficulty, and unfulfilled promises. Often times, divorce follows. Many young people have a hard time believing in the permanence of marriage these days because divorce is so common. And while there are Biblical reasons to divorce, even Jesus followers are getting divorced at large rates for reasons that are not Biblical, breaking the promises they made at the alter. Thank God we’re not God. When God makes us a promise, He means it. He keeps it. He Himself is unchanging yesterday, today, and forever. He will not cease to be faithful to His Word. If He says it, we can take it to the bank. You want to know something great? You’re a forgiven child of God who’s been promised eternal life with your Good Father in heaven!
.
in the bible
Hosea 1:311 So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 5 In that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel.” 6 Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call her LoRuhamah (which means “not loved”), for I
will no longer show love to Israel, that I should at all forgive them. 7 Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the Lord their God, will save them.” 8 After she had weaned LoRuhamah, Gomer had another son. 9 Then the Lord said, “Call him LoAmmi (which means “not my people”), for you are not my people, and I am not your God. 10 “Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ 11 The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together; they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezebel. 2 Timothy 2:1113 11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
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Questions
1.) Do you have a hard time making promises or trusting other people’s promises? 2.) What happens to you when someone breaks a promise? 3.) What are some of the promises God has made in the Bible and to us? 4.) What does it mean to you that God always keeps His promises? Whenever you read the Bible, ask yourself these three questions: 1. What does this tell you about God? 2. What does this tell you about yourself and the world? 3. How is this going to change who you are and how you live?
