by Phil Sanders

"Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised; not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses His servant." (1 Kings 8:56)

God keeps His promises; you can count on Him. We can be assured, because God never lies (Tit. 1:2). He is the God of truth. When Jesus came into the world, John said of Him: "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:18). Jesus, indeed is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (14:6); He came to bear witness to the truth (18:37).

God keeps His promises; you can count on Him. We can be assured, because God loves us so (John 3:16). One keeps commitments to those He loves (Psalm 15:2-4). Our God is a God of integrity who swears to His own hurt and does not change. Paul exclaims, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" (Rom. 8:32)

God keeps His promises; you can count on Him. We can be assured, because God is able (Rom. 4:21). Whatever God promises, He is also able to perform. You and I as humans are limited and weak, but there are no limits to God's strength or power.

A guarantee is only as good as the character of the one who made it. You can count on God.

"But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us -- by me and Silvanus and Timothy -- was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; wherefore also by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us" (2 Cor. 1:18-20).

God's faithfulness is a cause for thankfulness and rejoicing. His example spurs us to greater faithfulness as well.

We can count on God; can God count on us?

by J. Randal Matheny

"The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom" (Deuteronomy 28:13, NIV).

The flip of the coin randomly determines heads or tails. Nobody knows until it plops in the hand or on the table what side will show its face.

Not so the people of God. You can always call it heads. You can always be at the top. You can always be sure of God's blessing.

There is one factor, one condition, one determinant. Nothing left to chance. No gamble. No risk.

What determines placement at the top? Paying attention to the Lord's commands. Such attention that hears and obeys. In the Old Testament, hearing is often a synonym for obedience. Following his orders puts you at the head.

Today, it seems that those who are determined to pay attention to the Lord's commands have fallen to the bottom. The butt of jokes. The despised of the grace-talkers. The detailed legalists.

The feel-good, accept-all talking heads have the upper hand. They look good, they talk nice, they please crowds.

And they are slowly but surely sinking to the bottom of God's scale. They're coming up tails. They may appear to be flying high, but, again, appearances are deceiving.

Obey the Lord in all things. Hold the course. Do not give ear to those who say "Peace" when there is no peace. Listen to what the Lord says. He will make you the head.

See you at the top.

I am the bulletin editor where I attend, and have used some of the articles from your site; they are very good messages, and just the right length! --Leonard T.