Did you know there are over 3000 promises in the Bible that are for you and me? I remember being floored when I learned of this. Promises of salvation, of protection, of peace, of joy and the list goes on and on. Don’t get me wrong, I knew the Bible was thick, I just didn’t know there were so many promises that applied to me! I have battled with negative thinking my whole life. Expecting what ever bad was just around the corner, because I knew it was just around the corner. I remember when I first let the vast amount of promises sink into my soul, I KNEW I needed them. I KNEW I could use some promises. I hoped they were promises that are kept.

I grew up in smaller churches. You know the ones. Where everyone knows everyone. Where somehow, even if thoughts aren’t voiced, you feel judged. I have early memories of my pastor screaming things like “you are going to hell”. I believed him. After all, I did sin. I said things I shouldn’t. I did things I shouldn’t. I just knew he was talking to me. His red face confirmed it.

Now, I am not fully blaming the pastor of a small church when I was a child for my life outcome. Life is full of seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, people and circumstances. All of these form what become our core. Our core is where we process our thoughts. Our core is where we apply filters of what affects our emotions. Our core is where we can measure our health. Our core is where we can determine our need. My core was in need of some promises. My core was in need of promises kept.

As I said before, we went to church as children. I grew up singing hymns dressed in little dresses that my mom had to make we wear. But there wasn’t much evidence in my life that I BELIEVED God’s promises to us. From the outside, I had made something great of myself. Living the American Dream! The inside was screaming a different story. The inside was stressed. It was overwhelmed. It was crazy busy. There was not time for anything but the next fire and my fire hose was about empty. It was dripping rusted drops at best. Depositing the poison that was sure to bring rust about on anything it touched. You seeing it?

That was how I knew I needed some promises. How I knew I needed the promises to be kept. My life had rust all over and some of the spots had aged so long the rust had eaten through.

I felt God prompt me. There’s a choice to make Karrie. Do you believe that every word of the Bible is true? I wanted to quickly say “Yes! Of course I do.”. But I knew it was a question of “Does your core believe every word is true?”. The answered saddened me and was scary all at the same time. “No. No I did not know or believe if all the promises were true for ME.”. I knew the promises were true for some people. After all, I had known people in my life who it seemed that good just happened for them. Blessings came without asking. Or so it seemed. Do you want to believe the words are true for you, Karrie, I could feel The Lord prompt. Here is where the quick astounding “YES!” I want and need to believe the promises are true for me.

That day I made a choice. A choice that each of us have to make. Whether it is a conscious choice or an unspoken choice. Whether we actively pursue the choice or never even consider. There is still a choice to be made. I made the choice to believe that every word of the Bible is true. Do you believe that every word of the Bible is true? If the answer is yes, then do you believe that every promise of the Bible is true for YOU?

God, today I pray that You would prompt each reader to know the answer to this question for themselves. May they ask you “Do I believe your word is true?”. Lord, give them the answer. May they ask you “Do I believe every promise is true for ME?”. Lord, give them the answer. I pray you would heal every wound that prevents each of us from believing your word is true. I pray you place a seed of hope in each one of us. I ask this believing in your son Jesus and the sacrifice He made for each of us. Amen