How are you? 

The words “I’m fine” may be crossing your mind, but I am not sure that right at this moment you really believe them. That’s what we say when we just lost the championship game in the NCAA tournament and we want to pretend like it wasn’t that big of a deal.

Maybe it isn’t the loss of an athletic competition but the loss of a loved one. Or maybe this phrase has been used more recently when we don’t know what to say because an unexpected, abrupt end just came to a season that was projected to be so great. Now it is no longer.

We utter this phrase to everyone around us, to ourselves, and maybe even to God, but we know deep down that it isn’t true. So what are we to do about it? 

In order to fight this internal battle that may be waging war inside of you, Ephesians 6:10-19 says that we are to put on the “whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”

In order to do this, we have to remember who God is and what He promises to His Beloved…that’s you and me. From Genesis to Revelation, God illustrates His unwavering love for us in that “while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Below are just a few of His promises that we can cling to now and forever. 

GOD PROMISED THAT A GREAT NATION (ISRAEL) WOULD COME FROM ABRAHAM. HE PROMISES TO MULTIPLY.

“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 1:1-3).

GOD PROMISES TO PROVIDE WHEN WE TRUST/OBEY HIM 

“After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son, Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.

Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” and He said, “Here I am.” He said,”Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not witheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided” (Genesis 22:1-14).