God makes many promises in the Bible, and the ones particularly pertaining to His children are the ones that we sometimes have trouble accepting! Why is that? Simply put, we are to trust the Lord and obey Him. In return, we can know that He will accomplish everything He told us He would do.

Sometimes, I think we find it difficult to really, really understand when God makes these wonderful promises, especially concerning our salvation and Heaven, and the terrible promises that foreshadow an eternal Hell if we choose not to follow God. It just might not seem fully comprehensible. Sometimes you might think that the happiness which awaits the members of God’s family is too surreal and that you shouldn’t deserve to be so happy here on earth.

Maybe that’s because, hopefully, deep down inside you know it’s true that we don’t deserve those wonderful, glorious promises God makes to us in the Bible. We don’t deserve such a wonderful life in Heaven, but He offers it to us! We shouldn’t be able to choose between eternal death and eternal life, but we can! And that’s because God loves us so much that He will allow us to live lives of our own free will, and He will not force us to do anything; whether it breaks His heart by our choice of disobedience or brings a smile to His face by our loyalty and faith.

God’s promises to the faithful are beautiful and sacred things. He does not give His word lightly, and His promises are often conditional. The promises of a home in Heaven and blessings throughout life on earth apply to everyone who keeps His commandments. It seems almost surreal at times because we cannot truly fathom the depth of such a great gift He gives to us! God Himself came to Earth, through His son, to die for our transgressions. It was the most painful and humiliating of deaths–all in order that He might fulfill the promises He made throughout the Bible (Romans 15:8), and because of His everlasting love.

We often forget the promises of God when we worry and fret over our lives, but we shouldn’t, because God has given us so many glorious things to look forward to! The world will try to pull us down and make us forget that we have something special and eternal waiting for us.

For some of us, it doesn’t feel like we should be so happy on earth because there is so much evil surrounding us. We know we’ve all sinned (Romans 3:23) and even when we ask for forgiveness, we are constantly thinking about the spiritual battles we’re fighting every day. To imagine a place where the Devil can no longer reach us can be difficult for us because this world where he can reach us is all we’ve ever known. “How can such a wonderful life after death be for me?” you ask. You believe and want to accept God’s beautiful promises, but sometimes it’s hard to grasp. God understands that our human minds can’t really and truly imagine everything He’s described for us, but He makes His Word clear enough that we can know how to receive those rewards and promises He holds out to us willingly.

The faithful Christian will stand strong upon the promises of God. Will you?

By Lacey Deaver
Lacey Deaver is 18 years old and lives in Denton, TX. She is very passionate about history, writing and literature, and God is the King of her life. She also loves to spend time with friends and browsing around in bookstores, and she holds a deep appreciation for newly sharpened pencils.