Keeping His Promise

            A friend said to me recently, “If it doesn’t warm up soon, I’m moving south.”  I didn’t have the heart to tell him he was already there. Obviously he was teasing. But let me tell you something. It has been cold.  And I’ve lived in the upper Midwest for 14 years.  Doesn’t matter. It’s been cold.

            I’ve spent several afternoons covering lemon and orange trees with sheets and tarps.  And the next morning is spent taking them down.  And I wonder if it will be worth it.  The truth is that I won’t know until late spring, or perhaps even summer.  And it could be later than that. You do the work, but you don’t know if the effort will pay off.

            Some people think of the Christian life in that same manner. Or at least what they perceive as the Christian life. You do the best you can, you try to be good to others and do the right thing, and then, at the end of life you will find out if it was worth the work. One day eventually you will know.

            I am convinced that we can do better than that. The Bible is so clear on this issue. There are many precious promises from God. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Not might be saved. Not could be saved. Will be saved.

            The Bible offers us a certainty when it comes to the promises of God. He has never failed to keep a promise, and He will not fail us in that day. We have been called to repent (change our hearts and minds to agree with God), and to trust the Lord. This is more than simply believing that He exists. It is putting one’s full trust in Him.

            But when you do that, you can be sure that God will keep His Word. Indeed, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” You can put that in the bank.