PROMISE, PROVISION and Protection
Introduction to this prophetic word given by Pastor Kelvin Pleasent
According to Everet E. Storms there are 7959 promises in Scripture made by God. If we use one promise each day it will take us 22 (twenty-two) years to use each of the promises once. Caleb lived 40 (forty years) on one promise. How many years can we live on 7959 promises?
A promise is a written or an oral agreement to do something or not to do something. We are all accustomed to promises. Anyone who has lived any number of years is used to hearing someone say, “I promise.” Then we don’t understand. There could be many reasons for the change. Sometimes we forget, we are negligent, and sometimes it is due to circumstances beyond our control.
The truth is, we all have made promises in our lives or had something promised to us. The child promises to be good in school. The husband and wife promise to love each other for life. The doctor promises you the best possible care. The office promises you a better position and so forth. Not that there was a malicious intent to deceive, but the validity of our promise will only be as good as the ability of the one who makes it to carry the promise through. Also there has to be a willingness to do it. Empty promises have no hope of being fulfilled. For example, as you will see in the following pages, God followed through on the promises to Abraham. Paul points out in Galatians 3:16, that it was through Christ God intended to fulfill the promise to Abraham. Also in Acts 13:32:33, the Apostle says: “And we declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he raised up Jesus again.”
What does all this have to do with me? My answer is that it has everything to do with you. God has literally promised to us blessing upon blessing in his word and in many cases we don’t know how to take advantage of the promises to receive the blessings or we are tricked by the enemy into believing that we don’t deserve the promise. I want to deal with specific promises in the Word of God and show you how to cause these promises to work to the highest degree in your favor.
What Has God Promised Me?
You have to have absolute confidence in order to obtain the promises. A promise from God is a statement that is factual, infallible and continual. Remember, “He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). “Not one word has failed of all his good promises” (1 Kings 8:56). In the words of Dr. Waylon B. Moore, “God has, if you will, a garment at the dry cleaners which is mine, but it must be picked up with a claim check. The claim check is His promises!
Let’s name some of these promises that are extremely relevant to our lives...
God’s presence – (Hebrews 13:5) “I will never leave thee.”
God’s power – (Isaiah 41:10) “I will strengthen thee.”
God’s provision – (Isaiah 41:10) “I will help thee.”
God’s protection – (Genesis 15:1) “I am thy shield.”
Sounds simple doesn’t it? Let’s look into each one a little deeper to extract some truth to help us in our time of need. In order to receive what God has promised us, we have to ensure that have a relationship with God and are being led by God in our walk. If we do not, then we must confess our sins, and He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) The Bible says, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” (Heb 8:12) We have to come to that point. No matter what you’ve done, he will forgive you and be merciful unto you. That still doesn’t mean that you have forgiven yourself. But you have to. You can’t go back through the annals of time to change whatever you have done. Just know that God has lifted you above that and is waiting to fulfill the promises he has for you in your life.
Let’s talk about the promise of his presence.
The Presence of the Lord in our lives is, in my opinion one of the single most important promises made to us in our lives. We cannot live without the Presence of the Lord. The Bible says in Psalm 140:13, surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; the upright shall dwell in Your presence (before your very face). The Presence of the Lord is so important, and yet few Believers know what the Presence of God really means. You are NEVER alone! God is with you no matter where life may take you. The Omni-Presence of God is the Believers security! You are safe in the hands of God, regardless where you are.
With the promise of his presence it is three fold...
God is Omni-Present – God is everywhere at all times! Nothing escapes His eyes. There are no secrets and no surprises to Him. David said in Psalm 139: 7 where could I go from your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence?
Indwelling Presence – God lives in you. In John 15:4, 5 we read: Dwell in Me and I will dwell in you . . . whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. God is actively working in you. 1 Corinthians 3:16 says: Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you?
His Manifest Presence – God’s Manifest presence is a special anointing for a special task at a specific time. It is temporal in nature. For example, in a service you might experience an almost cloud like presence and people will be healed, set free and reclaimed to God. A special anointing at a special time, if you will. When God manifests His presence it is to give you a much-needed jumpstart. The manifest presence is for desperate and immediate needs to be met.
Let’s talk about the promise of his power...
So God's power is that ability and strength by which he can bring to pass whatsoever pleases him, whatever his infinite wisdom can direct, and what his infinite purity can resolve. Power is not an act, but the ability to bring a something into act, to produce something. And this God's power is irresistible: "His counsel shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure" (Isaiah 46:10).
Although God is all powerful he cannot...
God cannot die; he cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18)
He cannot deny himself (2 Timothy 2:13);
God cannot do anything unsuitable to his holiness and goodness.
The day and time, in which we live in, it is imperative that we have the “power of God” in our lives. Not just a formality, but the very essence of his power. You remember this story. "A team of Jews who were traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus. The words they used was this: “I command you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. But when they tried it on a man possessed by an evil spirit, the spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul. But who are you?” And he leaped on them and attacked them with such wrath that they fled from the house, naked and bruised." (Acts 19:13-16). What was the problem? It is not enough to talk about the promise of power, but you must possess it as well. What God has promised you is so powerful that the enemy will do whatever he can to destroy it. The only way to sustain is to have the power of God active in your life.
Let’s talk about the promise of provision...
What is provision? It is the activity of supplying or providing something or a supply of something. (especially of food or clothing or arms)
Another great promise of God that we find in His word is provision. We know that we all have needs. Some writings deal with the needs of the total man, such as social, economic, spiritual, physical and etcetera. There are as many needs as we have people. We need the courage that God will supply all our needs, according to his riches in glory. In fact, one of the Old Testament names for God is Jehovah Jireh, which means, “the Lord will provide.” In Genesis 22, Abraham and his son Isaac arrived on Mt. Moriah and Isaac asked his father in verse 7, “where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham answered in verse 8, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” Are we standing on that promise of provision, or are were fainting in the midst of every trial. God is well aware of what we need.
Study John 6:1-21 and you will find...
7 Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."
That is a true statement, based on what we have and who we are. However, little becomes much when placed in the Master’s hand. Our limited resources become unlimited resources. Philip is a typical Christian who is not looking past what he sees. He looks at the amount of offering that has come in and determines it’s not enough to feed the 5000. Sometimes we also get focused on the financial. We know that God wants to do something, but we think we can’t afford it. Philip was right; they couldn’t afford it in the natural realm. But God doesn’t always act in the natural realm; sometimes he asks us to reach out in faith as he works in the spiritual realm. Stop limiting yourself. On your own, you can’t do it, but with God all things are possible. Some people will never attain what God has for them, due to a lack of faith. God worked a miracle to provide for the needs of the people. He will work a miracle to provide for your needs too. In your reading you will notice that Jesus began this miracle by giving thanks to God before handing out the food. When we face a difficult time in our life, let us also start by giving thanks to God. Thank him for his provision, thank him for taking care of us, and thank him because we know that he is in control of everything in our lives.
Then there is the promise of protection...
Why do I need the promise of protection? You need it because no matter how sincere and upright you are, there is someone that is in your life that is not. I know that it is hard to imagine, but there are some people that are in your life just to tear you down. There are some people in your lives that don’t want the promises to come to pass. They not only want to see you fall, but they want to see you destroyed. Not everyone is excited about who you are and what God has promised you. God knows that and he is providing protection. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
God has a plan of protection when the storms of life come against you. The Palmist mentions protection from war, diseases, calamities, and the like. There is a condition however: “If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge” (Psalm 91:9). If, is a small word with big consequences. This is a stipulation. You must make the Most High your dwelling.
Notice that God is called the Most High. The Psalmist is trying to point out the most obvious truth about God—that he is the Sovereign God who has authority over our lives. We often mistakenly expect God’s protection when we are in rebellion to His will for our lives. We can’t expect God to protect us when we do not submit to Him.
One of the clear teachings of scripture is that if we are in Christ, nothing can harm us outside of God’s design. That does not mean that we can’t be harmed or won’t suffer, but we do know that “The Lord is your keeper and does not slumber or sleep; the LORD shall preserve you from all evil” (Psalm 121). God is never taken by surprise and He knew what problems would arise in your life before you were born. This is what gives us faith and confidence in our circumstances. We know that God has a plan for our lives – in fact, God planned every step you would take and every breath you would take before you were formed in the womb. Satan’s desire to destroy you is nothing to God. According to the Bible in the book of Job, Satan needs permission from God before he can tempt or harm you.
A practical tip: Highlight all the promises you read in Scripture with a blue highlighter. Doing this illuminates the promises and makes looking them up much easier.
Promises for different needs:
• God listens to our prayer
For the Eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His Ears are attentive to their prayer (1 Pet.3:12) Ps.34:17; 1 John 5:14; 2 Cron.16:9; Ps.4:4; Ps.102:17.
• God answers our prayer
Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear (Isa.65:24). Jer.33:3; Mark 11:24; John 16:24; John 15:7; Isa.58:9; Eph.3:20; Matt.7:7
• Promises about forgiveness
If we confess our sins, He is Faithful and Just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9) Ps.32:1-2; Isa.43:25; Ps.103:12; 1 John 2:12; Eph.1:7; Rom.8:33.
• Promises about the Holy Spirit
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give The Holy Spirit to those who ask Him (Luke 11:13) Isa.44:3; John 14:16-17; John 16:7; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:38-39 Gal.4:6; Gal.3:14; 1 John 4:13; Matt.3:11; Ezek.36:27; Eph.1:13
• Promises about the Peace of God
But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed (Isa.53:5) John 14:27; Rom.5:1; Phil.4:7 Rom.5:22
• The Lord will make us prosperous
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. (Prov.3:5-6) Jos.1:8; 2 Chron.20:20; Prov.16:3; 2 Cor.3:5b; 1 Chron.22:12-13
• Promises about the family of the believer
The Lord blesses the house of the righteous (Prov.3:33) Prov.12:7; Deut.12:28; Isa.54:13; Ps.112:1-3; Prov.22:6; Ps.128:1,3; Deut.4:40; Eph.6:2-3
• Promises about financial and material provision
Consider the ravens; they do not sow or reap, they have no store room or barn yet God fees them and how much more valuable you are than birds! (Luke 12:24) Phil.4:19; Luke 11:9; Ps.84:11-12; Matt.6:32: Ps.37:3,25; Luke 12:30-31; Luke 6:38
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