I saw this post the other day about 5 promises from God. The writer recognizes that God is always with you even when we feel distant and alone, he will give peace that surpasses all understanding, he provides all of our needs, he will protect us from harm, and he wipes away all of our tears.

What we don’t understand is that the blessings of God are only received from our obedience to God.

Each of the verses attached to these promises say so.

God is with us even when we feel distant or alone.
1. Joshua 1: 9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
2. Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
3. Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
4. All of these two actions in common: strength and courage/lack of fear.
  1. Strength
    1. In Nehemiah 8:10 "Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
    2. Isaiah 40:31 "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
  2. Courage
    1. 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
    2. Mark 5:36 “Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’”
5. Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”
6. Proverbs 8:17 “I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.”
God will give us peace that surpasses all understanding, but we must give him our worries.
1. Phillipians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
2. Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you.”
3. Proverbs 16:7 “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
4. Proverbs 37:11 ““But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.””
He provides all of our needs
1. You must seek him and not your fleshly desires.
  1. Matthew 6:33 “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
  2. James 4:3 “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
  3. James 1:6-7 “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;”
2. You must GIVE!
  1. Malachi 3:10 “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”
  2. Luke 6:38 “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
  3. ALL of Psalms 37
  4. Phillipians 4:18-19 “I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
  5. 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”
God will protect us from harm
1. You have to operate in his wisdom
  1. Proverbs 2:9-11 ”Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.”
  2. Proverbs 4:6 “Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.”
  3. 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
  4. 2 Thessalonians 3:3-4 “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command.”
2. You have to ask
  1. Psalm 12:5 “‘Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,’ says the LORD. ‘I will protect them from those who malign them.’”
  2. Psalm 20:1 “May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.”
He wipes away all of our tears.
1. He WILL when he come back wipe away all of our tears, BUT you must abide in him.
  1. Isaiah 25:8 “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”
  2. Revelations 7:17 “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.“
2. You must go to him as your source!
  1. Revelation 21:3-4 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place[a] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’”
3. He will comfort us.
  1. Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
  2. Psalm 119:76 “Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant.”
  3. Psalm 119:50 “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.”

This is not to discourage you. God will do all of these things. This is for you to understand completely that God will freely give, but it requires a posture to receive!

What we don’t understand is that the blessings of God are only received from our obedience to God.

God is with us even when we feel distant or alone.

God will give us peace that surpasses all understanding, but we must give him our worries.

He provides all of our needs

God will protect us from harm

He wipes away all of our tears.

This is not to discourage you. God will do all of these things. This is for you to understand completely that God will freely give, but it requires a posture to receive!