How does God keep his promises? (Part 1)

by Michael Larsen.

(This is part of a sermon preached on April 8.)

How come God’s promises don’t always seem to work?  What if we have done our part by "believing," but we haven't seen any results? Is there something we don't understand? Is there something else we need to do to see God's promises fulfilled? 
        Why is there confusion about the way God keeps His promises? At times, a gap develops between what we think God has said He would do and what we see happening in our everyday experience. 
Our confusion can be due to any one (or several) of the following factors. 
1. Faulty expectations. 
We assume that God will keep His promises in the way we expect, in ways that are immediately obvious rather than in a manner that becomes apparent only in time. We may expect Him to change our external circumstances and environment when what He really wants us to see is that His promises can be fulfilled through inner changes in us. 
2. Faulty interpretations and applications. 
A lot of people go around quoting Bible verses as promises to them as individuals when in fact the promises were given to specific biblical characters, a nation, or only to people of a certain time period. 
3. Faulty feelings. 
If we have been hurt, we blame God for not doing what we think He promised. Personal rejection, failure, loss of a job, physical pain, or injustice can cause us to lose perspective if we allow our feelings to override the truth about God. 
4. Faulty memory. 
In the midst of suffering, we forget the evidence of God's faithfulness in our lives and how He has fulfilled His promises to us in the past. As a result, we lose confidence in His ability to be faithful in the future. 
        In this two-part series, we will look at how God keeps His promises (1) on His terms (unconditional, conditional, partial) (2) to His intended audience (all people, God’s children, specific individuals), (3) _________, and (4) _________.