“Remember Your promise to me, Your servant; it has given me hope.” (Psalms 119:49)
Who wrote Psalms 119 and when is a mystery. Some think it’s a collection from many writers such as David, Ezra, etc... This particular Scripture sounds much like David. But Bible scholars have not committed this psalm to any particular writer.
The psalmist is talking to God. He petitions the Lord to remember His Promise. There are 7,147 promises in the whole Bible according to the author Herbert Locklear, but other sources say 8,810. Some are conditional meaning they only apply if you meet the condition. Others are unconditional. God’s promises to us are important. We may have a need and are begging God to respond when He has already responded with a provision for that need. That would be asking amiss.
Whatever our need is, if there is a promise for that need, we need to remember that God has no favorites. “But many who are now first will be last, and many who are now last will be first." (Mark 10:31) We take this Scripture with a grain of salt because how could the least be better than say the great John the Baptist. But Jesus made it clear as recorded by Luke: “I tell you," Jesus added, "John is greater than anyone who has ever lived. But the one who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than John." (Luke 7:28) So we may think of ourselves as the “least” of believers, but Jesus reassures us that we count highly in His eyes.
Can we believe that God keeps His Promise? We can be sure that God does not lie. “From Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I was chosen and sent to help the faith of God's chosen people and to lead them to the truth taught by our religion, which is based on the hope for eternal life. God, who does not lie, promised us this life before the beginning of time,” (Titus 1:1-2) What God says will be accomplished. “So also, will be the word that I speak—it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do.” (Isaiah 55:11) The real question is do we really believe? Do we believe God for the impossible no matter what things look like?
There are consequences to not knowing the Promises of God. We have an example in the Israelites, who didn’t recognize their Messiah because they were unfamiliar with the prophesies of His coming. They didn’t make that connection of their religious rites of the Passover and the sacrifices and the suffering Messiah. Then and now they only look to the promise of the Thousand Year Reign of Christ (although they don’t recognize it as such) but look to the peace that the Messiah will bring to the world between the nations, men and beasts.
But let’s not dwell on their mistake because we are also susceptible to making the same mistake. Many times, we want to hear all the beautiful promises of abundance, peace, victory and glory, but fail to see that there are some conditions to some of those promises. Then when those promises fail to come, we blame God, instead of searching where we missed it. And I can say that because God IS faithful, because He NEVER lies and because His Promises NEVER fail.
We can depend on God’s Promises because it’s His Word and He has magnified His Word above His Name. King David wrote: “I will worship toward Thy holy temple and praise Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy truth: for Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy Name.” (Psalms 138:2) And Paul wrote: “For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who was preached among you by Silas, Timothy, and myself, is not One Who is "Yes" and "No." On the contrary, He is God's "Yes"; for it is He Who is the "Yes" to all of God's promises. This is why through Jesus Christ our "Amen" is said to the glory of God.” (2Corinthians 1:19-20)
Where can we start learning about the Promises of God? We can start with His Names. He is the God of healing, Jehovah Rapha; the God of provision, Jehovah Jireh; God of guidance, our Shepherd, Jehovah Rohi; God Who is present, Jehovah Shammah; God of victory, our Banner, Jehovah Nissi and there are many others. As we read the Bible we will come across His Promise. Write it and memorize it. Then you can say with the psalmist, “Remember Your promise to me, it has given me hope.” Today with Google and other search engines, searching God’s Promises is at our fingertips. And when we read the Bible, they are hidden treasures in His Word.
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