Promises in Psalms – One Focus Ministries

Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise …Then they despised the land [of Canaan], they did not believe in His word nor rely on it…But then they rejected the land that was so desirable. They did not trust God’s promise…They refused to enter the pleasant land. They did not believe what he said…Then they refused to go into the beautiful land of Canaan; they did not believe what God promised (Psalm 106:24 ESV, AMP, CEB, GW,NCV)

We have looked with wonder at a multitude of promises God made in the book of Psalms. As noted in the very first post on these promises in the Psalms, “God’s promises are built on a covenant relationship. The truth of God’s word is available to everyone – giving each person the chance to become a child of God. His promises are for those who love Him.”

Unlike the children of Israel who “despised the promised land, having no faith in his promise”, we must trust God. We know the rest of the story that Psalm 106 tells us about their lack of trust. Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage, he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them (Psalm 16:40-41).

The promises of God give us comfort.

This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life…Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant
Psalm 119:50, 76

The promises of God direct us.

Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.
Psalm 119:133

The promises of God give us life.

This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life…Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope!…Plead my cause and redeem me; give me life according to your promise!
Psalm 119:50, 116 , 154

If you are like me, you have seen His promises fulfilled time and time again. Our part is to believe Him and meditate upon those wonderful, incredible promises He has made.

Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it…My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise
Psalm 119:140, 148

Dare we doubt Him now?

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry…The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit,,,For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God…I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry…Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice….I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live (Psalm 34:15, 17-18; 38:15; 40:1; 55:17; 116-:1-2 NKJV).

When I wrote Claiming the Promises of the Psalms: the Promise of God’s Presence a year ago, we were in the throes of a terrible time in our nation – and in the world. Our circumstances have not gotten any better – in fact, they are worse. My testimony of this past year can be summarized in a statement I made in that post.

David said, He heard me. At another time he said, The Lord will hear me when I call to Him. Because David knew that God had heard him before, he knew that God would hear him each time He called.
Like David, I have a history with God. He has heard me and I know He will continue to hear me. When I need to be reminded of His presence, He knows just how to do it.

God’s promise to hear us adds a very personal element to the reality of His abiding presence. Not only is He present, The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth, He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them (Psalm 145:18-19). There is no thought you think He does not hear. There is no prayer you utter He does not answer. You and I, as His children, have a constant audience with our Heavenly Father. We don’t need to work to get His attention. Because that is true, we can count on an uninterrupted conversation with the One who knows every detail of our lives, and has an answer for every situation.

That conversation is called prayer.