Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT devotionals from Aug. 9-15 are provided by Cami King, a staff at Journey Community Church (Raleigh).

Devotional Thoughts for Today

2 Kings 7:15-20

They went after them to the Jordan, and behold, all the way was full of clothes and equipment which the Arameans had thrown away in their haste. Then the messengers returned and told the king. 16 So the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. Then a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. 17 Now the king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. 18 It happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two measures of barley for a shekel and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, will be sold tomorrow about this time at the gate of Samaria.” 19 Then the royal officer answered the man of God and said, “Now behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he said, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it.” 20 And so it happened to him, for the people trampled on him at the gate and he died.

The title heading chosen by translators for the section of the text above is “The Promised Fulfilled.” Those are some of the sweetest words in scripture. How glorious is the day when we see God’s promises come to fruition right before our eyes. One of the most difficult aspects of keeping the faith and continuing to hope when the going gets tough is how heavily it requires us to depend on God’s promises and believe in things not yet seen. And the longer the difficulty and opposition persists, the more room we have to doubt that God’s promises will ever come to pass. And sometime after a while we forget what His promises are all together.

God had promised deliverance for His people through the prophet Elisha – but not everyone believed him. How could God do this impossible thing of which Elisha spoke? But He did the very thing He promised – He fed His people in the midst of a famine, through the four lepers we read about yesterday. God had done exactly what he said He would do and it was a day of rejoicing for His people. Well – for some of them. For the doubters, God allowed them to see His promises fulfilled, although not to partake in them personally. That’s a tragedy we’ll have to save to discuss another day.

For today, let’s be reminded that God always makes good on what He has promised. Whether He has promised things about His character (“The LORD’S loving-kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23), or made promises to us as the Church (“…He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6) or to you as His child (“…for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, now will I ever forsake you,” Hebrews 13:5) – through scripture or through the mouths of brothers and sisters in Christ – God will do what He says.

Our Daily Bread wrote the following story: “An elderly Christian was in much distress as he lay dying. ‘Oh, Pastor,’ he said, ‘for years I have relied upon the promises of God, but now in the hour of death I can’t remember a single one to comfort me.’ Knowing that Satan was disturbing him, the preacher said, ‘My brother, do you think that GOD will forget any of His promises?’ A smile came over the face of the dying believer as he exclaimed joyfully. ‘No, no! He won’t! Praise the Lord, now I can fall asleep in Jesus and trust Him to remember them all and bring me safely to Heaven.’ Peace flooded his soul, and a short time later he was ushered by the angels into the light of God’s eternal day.

God’s promises never fail. And even when we grow tired of believing or forget what He has promised in the face of difficult situations, we can rest assured that God will never forget. And when it’s all said and done we will be able to affirm the truth of Joshua’s words, “You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.” (Joshua 23:14).

Prayer: “Teach me Your way, O LORD, and lead me in a level path… I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27: 11, 13) Help me to wait for You God, to be strong and take heart and wait for You to fulfill Your good promises to me. In Jesus’ name.

Bible Reading for Today: Galatians 6 & Ephesians 1