Glomming Onto the Promises

Throughout my Christian life, I have been "standing on the promises." Perhaps you remember the song:

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring.
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.
-- And here is how we sang the refrain after each verse:
Standing (on the promises),
Standing (on the promises),
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing (on the promises)
Standing (on the promis—es) [a huge ritard here]
I’m standing on the promises of God.
-- Russell K. Carter, 1886

Standing on the promises means to rely on them, to consider them dependable and certain of fulfillment. Unfortunately, though, some people "glom onto" the promises they find in the Word of God. (According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, glom is a word for grabbing hold of to appropriate for oneself. That, I think, is a fair description of the misuse of Scripture to claim something we want and to try holding God accountable for giving it to us!)

For example, God told Abram (Abraham), "Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west. I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants forever." Who could mistake that to mean that for a promise they could stand upon? Likewise, not every fisherperson is going to be successful by snatching Jesus' words spoken to His disciples: “Throw your net out on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get a catch.” The prophet Isaiah was instructed by God to go to King Hezekiah and tell him, "I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you and add fifteen years to your life." That is hardly a promise that every deathly ill person can seize and claim for himself/herself, yet I have heard of some who have tried to make that work.

A few questions can help us discern whether the statements we read are promises for us today:

-- Have we looked first to the promises that are clearly intended for all who believe them? A case in point, "Come to me," Jesus said to a multitude, "all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest."

-- Was this "promise" given specifically to a person(s) rather than to all God's people? This must be considered with care. Even so, God may wish at times to give us the grace He has extended to others. Was this "promise" given in circumstances similar to my own?

-- Is the "promise" consistent with others also found in the Scriptures? This is especially important.

-- Does the promise have a condition attached? An "if" is implied in "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." An unconditional promise: "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

-- The ultimate test: Do time and actual events prove the validity of our claim to a "promise"? Remember of course, that we have to wait for the fulfillment of some promises until we get to heaven!

To be honest, sometimes we want to control God! And we suppose that the way to do this is to glom onto a promise and remind Him that He is obligated to comply! There are thousands of promises; some estimates are between seven and eight thousand! There are so many that are clearly meant for us to believe, that it seems we hardly need to glom onto those that may not be in God's plan for us personally.

MaryMartha