Believe God for Greater Things in 2016

By Greg Sanders

Genesis 12:1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

As a believer, you are the recipient of thousands of promises from God. You have reason to believe, hope, and even expect God to bring greater blessings to your life. One of the most limiting things about your life is what you believe God can do through you. It is not your talent, not your connections, or your education. What has the most potential to elevate your life is your ability to take God at His word and believe Him to perform it in your life. God called Abraham to leave what he could see and trust Him for what he could not see with only one thing to motivate him to do so; a promise.

Life does not change until a promise is believed. The only reason life changes is because you believe something. You join the gym because you believe that going there will transform your body. You put money into a savings account because you believe it will accumulate, gain interest, and be there when you retire. You put your kids in school because it holds the promise of their lives being better educated. You go to work on Monday because you believe the promise your boss made when He said he would reward you on Friday with a paycheck. However, if any one of those promises is doubted, your behavior immediately changes.

There are way too many people who can quote the promises of God but do not expect them to come about in their lives. Greater things come to our lives when we believe that He has the power to deliver His promises. As a matter of fact, sin is the result of believing the devil’s promise over God’s promise. If we believe that a way other than God’s will produce happiness and joy, our belief in that false promise will lead us down the wrong road.

However, if I have a promise from God that I embrace then I can persevere. I have hope. If I have a promise then I can stay faithful when it looks futile. If I have a promise I can resist what is good for what is great. But when I doubt the promise, I waver in my commitments.

Remember 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

Today’s Challenge: Remember that God has greater things for your life. When you read the promises of God in His word, realize that those promises apply to you. They have no expiration date and a previous user has not exhausted them. Believe God for greater things in 2016 by embracing His promises.

Today’s devotion is an excerpt from a recent message at CFA. If you would like to listen to the message in its entirety, look for the message titled “Embracing God’s Promise” at www.camdenfirstassembly.org or find more devotional material at www.pastorgregsanders.com