<b>Stand by Me</b> devotion for 08-MAR-11

&lt;b&gt;Stand by Me&lt;/b&gt; devotion for 08-MAR-11

Selection Taken From:
A Year with God by R.P. Nettelhorst

Make this the year you let God's Word "dwell in you richly"---and marvel at the results! Each entry in this 365-day devotional features Scripture verses in which God speaks, accompanied by insights and applications to enhance your understanding. Learn what God says about hope and fear; perseverance and quitting; companionship and isolation; and more! 384 pages, softcover from Nelson, Copyright 2010.


Stand by Me
He always stands by his covenant—the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
This is the covenant he made with Abraham and the oath he swore to Isaac.
He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant:
"I will give you the land of Canaan as your special possession."
He said this when they were few in number, a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.
They wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.
Yet he did not let anyone oppress them.
He warned kings on their behalf:
"Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets." - Psalm 105:8—15 NLT

Friends and family may let us down. There is no guarantee that they'll be there when we call. They may have had the best of intentions when they made promises, but things happen and circumstances change. They have their own problems to deal with. It just may not be a good time.

God wanted to make sure his people understood his commitment, and so he used symbols they understood. He spoke in their language. He borrowed things from their culture and turned them to his purposes. People made contracts with each other to make certain they'd keep their promises. Nations signed treaties. God took those images and used them to help his people understand the depth of his relationship with them. He bound himself to them. What he said was dependable. God was more than just a friend announcing he'd call back later.

Circumstances were never beyond God's control. Even when Israel was insignificant, barely more than a large family, God entered into a covenant—a treaty—with them. He kept his word then, when they were small, when they were barely anyone, when there was no reason even to give his word to them in the first place. It wasn't as if they had something to give to God. Nor was it as if he made promises so the people would give him something he didn't have. The Israelites didn't have to be concerned in their current circumstances. God protected his people in the past, took them through all their hard times, and didn't forsake them. There was no reason to think he would go back on his word.

God is consistent in how he treats his people. Look at what he did yesterday, and you'll see what he'll do for you tomorrow.