God’s Promises To You By Priscilla Shirer

Day 4 of 4:

I Will Give You A Life That’s Overflowing

In Exodus 6:7, God makes an incredible promise to His people. He promises to make them a family — His family — and to give them a future. 

Every year, Jews celebrate these promises during a meal called the Passover. It’s the same meal Jesus celebrated with His followers at the Last Supper. That night, Jesus didn’t drink the fourth cup that symbolized this promise to be God’s people. Instead, Jesus would wait to drink this cup with the disciples as they celebrate the fulfillment of all God’s promises in heaven.  

When we have a 

a relationship with Jesus, we, too, can live in anticipation of this celebration. Jesus redeemed us so we could join Him and the rest of our brothers and sisters at His banquet table in heaven (Revelation 9:9). 

While God’s promise to make us His people will be fulfilled completely in heaven, we don’t have to wait to experience the joy that knowing Him brings. God makes Himself known to us through His Spirit, His Word, and His people. 

God has given us the opportunity to mirror what His kingdom will be like right now, right here on Earth. We move from “me” to “we” when we connect to others in the church. When we live and serve alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ, it’s only natural for joy and praise to happen, because we’re doing what we were made to do forever in heaven. 

As we look forward to that heavenly banquet, we feast with our family of believers here by serving together, laughing together, crying together, and caring for one another. When we understand what it means to be a part of God’s family, we can’t help but praise Him.

Pray

God, thank you for not leaving me to do this life alone. Help me connect with the family you have given me here on Earth so I can more fully experience joy and give you glory. 

Challenge

Take a moment to reflect on your relationships with others in the church:

  • When was the last time you laughed until it hurt? 
  • Who would you call at 2am if you needed something?
  • Who encourages you in your faith and points you toward Jesus?

If you had an answer to those questions, let those people know how much you appreciate them and look for opportunities to grow those friendships. 

Exodus 6:6-8 King James Version

6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:

7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord.

Matthew 26:26-30 King James Version

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

Revelation 19:9 King James Version

9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

God’s Promises To You By Priscilla Shirer

Day 3 of 4:

I Will Give You Purpose

Not only has God saved us and freed us, He has promised to do something significant through us. God has not just saved us from something, but He has saved us for something. 

When we submit ourselves to God, He frees us from the grip of sin and wrong thinking and reveals His purpose for us. Every Christian shares the same general purpose: to love God and honor Him. But how each of us fulfills that purpose will look different. There is something specific God planned for each of us to do from the beginning of time. 

Jesus is the best example of this. Jesus lived to bring glory to God (John 6:37-39). But God’s plan all along was to allow Jesus to die for our sins so we could be made right with Him. 

Paying the penalty for our sin was something only Jesus could do. Sin requires a perfect sacrifice. So to free us from sin once and for all would require the ultimate, perfect sacrifice (Romans 6:23). Being fully human and fully God, Jesus was the only perfect person to ever walk the Earth and the only person who could have fulfilled God’s plan to restore our relationship with Him. 

Just as Jesus was the only one who could fulfill His calling, we also have a specific role in God’s plan. We are “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). 

We’ll never fulfill our purpose if we’re constantly comparing ourselves to our neighbors. Like runners in a race, we will lose focus and veer off course if we’re worried about what’s happening in the next lane. 

We don’t have to worry about what anyone else is doing or strive to do something significant with our lives. God is the Master, and we are His masterpiece. He’s already created and equipped us for every work He prepared in advance for us to do. 

Pray

God, thank you for redeeming me for a purpose. Show me the works you’ve prepared in advance for me, and the race you’ve called me to run. Help me see the ways you masterfully created me to bring you glory. 

Challenge

What has God called you to do with your life? These two questions can help reveal what your calling might be:

  • What burdens you or keeps you up at night?
  • What opportunities do you have right now to make a difference in that area?

Burden + Opportunity = Calling 

Ephesians 2:1-10 King James Version

1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Philippians 2:12-13 King James Version

12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

God’s Promises To You by Priscilla Shirer

Day 2 of 4:

I Will Free You

Why does God make us wait?

Have you ever asked that question? God is all-powerful, so why doesn’t He fix our circumstances and remove our pain the moment we are saved? The Bible answers those questions in a few places. For example, Peter tells us God is gracious and kind, wanting as many people as possible to come to know Him. 

But there’s also work God wants to do in us while we’re waiting. When we ask Jesus into our lives, our spirit is made perfect. But our body and soul — what we do, and what we think and feel — are still far from perfect. 

We come into God’s family full of sin, full of hurt, and full of baggage. So from the moment we are saved to the day Jesus returns, God teaches us the values of this new family we’ve been adopted into. He doesn’t do this by giving a list of rules to follow, but by giving us the Holy Spirit as a guide. 

As we listen to the Holy Spirit and follow His lead, new desires displace our old ones. Freeing us from our old way of doing things is a lifelong process that requires our participation.  

We have to be willing to admit we have issues. We also have to let ourselves think differently. We might even have to change our influences — surrounding ourselves with different people, programs, or pastimes. 

But as crazy as it might sound, true freedom comes from submission. We spent our lives before Jesus chasing what feels good and doing what we thought was right. And in the end, we were never fulfilled. 

Each time we follow the Holy Spirit, we become a little more like Jesus and a little less like who we used to be. Confidence that we are God’s children replaces the knowledge that we are God’s children. And that’s where the real adventure begins. 

Pray 

God, thank you for dying to save me and sending the Holy Spirit to guide me. Free me from my old way of thinking and any baggage I’m still carrying around. Show me where I need to think differently and follow your lead. 

Challenge 

Do you feel free or is your life ruled by rules? What’s one thing you’ve been doing that God never said you needed to do? Quit it. Today. Then, ask Jesus how you should spend that time instead.

Romans 8 King James Version

8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?