365 Promises

Promise #170:
I will give you a garment of praise in exchange for your spirit of heaviness.


Isaiah 61:3 (WEB)
to appoint to those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes,
the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
that they may be called trees of righteousness,
the planting of Yahweh, that he may be glorified.


Isaiah 61 is full of amazing promises from God that were fulfilled when Jesus came to the world two thousand years ago. Verse 3 alone contains at least 4 promises that we could take all day to talk about! But in this devotional, I will stick to the promise where God says that He will give us a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

Many of the translations that I studied agree with the KJV that God promises a garment (or mantle) of praise for a spirit of heaviness (or despair - NIV). The Amplified version describes the spirit of heaviness as 'a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit' that God wants to lift off of us.

We all get discouraged. We all despair at times. Some of us struggle with this more than others. It is part of the human condition. I am thankful that modern medicine has helped us to better understand issues surrounding depression. Through the wisdom that God has provided, there are many helpful medical solutions to treat these issues. We need to be wise and continue to follow our doctor's advice if we are being treated for such a condition.

But what about those instances in life where a fearful thought or a discouraging thought makes us feel heavy and burdened? What can we do to combat these negative thoughts that come from the enemy of our soul? In today's promise, we read that God will give us a garment of praise in exchange for our spirit of heaviness.

I am not sure how it works for other people, but for me, when I take my eyes off my circumstances and begin to praise God, then I seem to get a new perspective on things. All of a sudden, my eyes are fixed upward rather than inward and my outlook on the problem starts to change.

My prayer today is that we would all see the bigness and greatness of our God and Father. I pray that we would all receive a supernatural perspective from heaven itself and the result would be that God would clothe us with a garment of praise in exchange for a spirit of heaviness.


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Promise #171:
My Spirit will rest on you when you suffer for Christ's sake.


1 Peter 4:14 (WEB)
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed;
because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
On their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified.


The Bible says that those who live a godly life will suffer persecution. We live in an orphan world with orphan values. Jesus told us that if people would reject Him, then they would reject us too. At some point in our lives, we will all suffer some form of persecution for Christ's sake. Since I live in the west, I wouldn't even try to dare to compare the suffering in my country to the persecution that is happening in many other places around the world.

Needless to say, God's grace will be sufficient in whatever level we need it to be for our circumstances. It is reassuring that we can rely on the Holy Spirit to rest on us when we are spoken evil of because of our faith in Jesus. In this KJV translation, the Apostle Peter actually says we should be happy if we are persecuted for the glorious name of Christ. May each one of us count it all joy when we suffer even a little bit for Christ's sake.

May our God and Father give us the strength and courage not to back down when people who oppose Christ oppose us. May we consider it an honor to suffer for His name!


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Promise #172:
My goodness will lead you to a change of heart.


Romans 2:4 (WEB)
Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience,
not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?


I love this promise. Romans 2:4 basically says it is the very goodness of God that leads people to repent. Many times, when we think of repentance, we think of it as a shame based response to some form of judgment in our lives. But really, it means to go in another direction or to change our mind.

When Jesus said, 'Repent for the kingdom is near', He was calling people to go in a new direction, a new way of thinking where they would know the truth and the truth would set them free. For too long, the word repentance has had far too many negative connotations.

There may be a place for a fire and brimstone, or a turn or burn message in the proclaiming of the gospel. But there is also a place when we simply proclaim God's goodness and His love and the result is that people will respond by going in a new direction... towards their loving Father through Christ. I believe that it is the love of God that will cause people to truly repent. In John 4:19, it says...We love because He first loved us.

God loved us while we were still His enemy (Romans 5:6-10). I believe it is the love of the Father that will melt the hearts of humanity and draw each one into His bosom through the free gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is our Papa's goodness that will lead us to change our minds and go in a new direction.

When I think of this promise in this light, it changes the way I see evangelism. It is the goodness of our Heavenly Father that will cause the biggest transformation in a person's heart.


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Promise #174:
I will protect the fatherless, and widows can trust in Me.


Jeremiah 49:11 (WEB)
Leave your fatherless children, I will preserve them alive;
and let your widows trust in me.


In the Old Testament Hebrew culture, a child who was fatherless was considered an orphan even if they were still under the care of their mother. That is why James says that pure religion is to take care of the widows and the orphans. God's heart is for those who are vulnerable. God's heart is for the underdog and those who are exploited in our society.

I personally believe that this promise not only applies to those who have had their father/husband die, but all who do not have a father/husband in their home. With the divorce rates reaching the 50% mark in many Western countries, I believe that this promise that God makes to protect the fatherless and the widows is very relevant in the society in which we live.

If you are in a situation where you are (or feel) fatherless, be encouraged that our God and Father promises to protect you. If you are widowed, divorced or separated in some way from your husband, God knows your needs and He will care for you like no one else possibly could.

I thank God for this promise. In many ways, most of us have struggled with some sense of being fatherless at one time or another. May we know our Papa's comforting love today in whatever situation we find ourselves.


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Promise #176:
My name is a strong tower that you can run to and find safety.


Proverbs 18:10 (WEB)
The name of Yahweh is a strong tower:
the righteous run to him, and are safe.


The name of our Lord and God is a strong tower, a mighty fortress that we can run to any time, night or day, and find safety. Psalm 91 talks about this strong tower being 'the secret place of the Most High'. It is a place where we can stay our entire lives, dwelling under the shadow of the Almighty.

Many of the anxieties that we experience in our society come from a place where we do not feel safe and secure. God is our strong tower! We can rest assured that safety is found in the borders of His love. What father wouldn't have a heart to protect his children?

God is the perfect Father and promises to be there for us...as a fortress that we can depend on for shelter. When I think of this promise, I feel peace in my heart knowing that I have a safe place where I can go, and so do you!


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Promise #177:
When you leave your body, you will be at home in My presence.


2 Corinthians 5:8 (WEB)
We are courageous, I say,
and are willing rather to be absent from the body,
and to be at home with the Lord.


I am so glad that Paul the Apostle made this declaration that reveals a very special promise from God... To be absent from our body is to be present with the Lord! He promises to never leave us or forsake us in this world, and when it is time for us to leave this world, we are with Him forever!

Hebrews 12:1 says that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses that have gone before us that are cheering us on in our race. One day, we will be joined with Jesus, in eternal glory, and will echo the same cheers that the great cloud of witnesses voice today.

Hallelujah that death has lost its sting! Nothing can ever separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ. When we are absent from our body, we will be at home in our Papa God's presence.

This promise is very comforting for me and the thought of my loved ones who have gone on to be with the Lord already. My prayer today is that everyone who reads this promise today will be comforted in knowing that all those who hope in Christ have this promise of eternal life.


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Promise #178:
The world and its passions will disappear but those who do My will shall live forever.


1 John 2:17
The world is passing away with its lusts,
but he who does God’s will remains forever.


We live in a temporal society. Here today, gone tomorrow. Things rust, thieves break in and steal, economies crash. There is nothing in this life that will last forever. The Bible says that even the heavens and the earth will one day be re-created. We are encouraged in God's Word to look at the unseen things and not the things that are seen. The eternal things, not the temporal things.

Much of the world's focus is in the realm of the temporal things. What we wear, where we live, what car we drive, how much money is in the bank, etc. But God makes an unshakeable promise that has nothing to do with the temporal things of this world.

Those who do the will of our God and Father will live forever! What a promise! May we fix our eyes today on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith and seek to simply be obedient to what He calls us to do at this moment. Because of Jesus, we have a promise to live forever in His glorious kingdom. Hallelujah!


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Promise #179:
I will rescue you from evil and safely deliver you into My kingdom.


2 Timothy 4:18 (WEB)
And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work,
and will preserve me for his heavenly Kingdom;
to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.


Paul the Apostle, was writing to his spiritual son, Timothy, when he made this reference. We know from the telling of Paul's life in the Bible that his life was difficult. He was stoned, beaten, ship wrecked, imprisoned and persecuted at every turn.

I am sure there were times where he struggled with discouragement. But even through the darkest moments, we do know that he eventually came to a place where he declared in Romans 8:38 that nothing on earth or in heaven, could ever separate him from the love of God in Jesus Christ.

From what I understand, this letter to Timothy was near the end of Paul's life and he was already looking towards his eternal home in heaven. Praise God for his declaration that the Lord would rescue him from evil and safely deliver him into an everlasting kingdom where there would be no more pain or suffering.

Praise God for this promise! No matter what trials you are suffering at this moment, you can rest assured that our God and Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ will rescue you and safely deliver you into an amazing, everlasting kingdom.


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Promise #181:
If you persist and do My will, you will receive what I have promised.


Hebrews 10:36 (WEB)
For you need endurance so that,
having done the will of God,
you may receive the promise.


The KJV Bible says that we need patience, the NLT Bible says that we need patient endurance. The NIV Bible says that we need to persevere. In Hebrews 12:1-2, we are called to run the race uniquely marked out for each one of us. In light of eternity, it might be just a sprint. However, in the grind of daily life, it mostly feels like a marathon race that we are running.

That is why the writer of Hebrews encourages us to keep on persisting to do the will of God in order that we might receive all that He has promised. We know that we could never do anything to earn or deserve the free gift of grace that God has given us in Jesus Christ. So I do not believe that this Scripture is referring to self effort or human works.

Jesus told us that the work that God requires is that we believe on the One He sent. I believe that God is saying that if we will just believe in Him and obey His leading, that we will receive all that He has promised in His Word. So don't lose hope, don't give up! God's promise is true for both me and you! Keep running your race!


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Promise #181:
I made the heavens by My Word and I breathed the stars into existence.


Psalm 33:6 (WEB)
By Yahweh’s word, the heavens were made;
all their army by the breath of his mouth.


Our God and Father is so big that He created the heavens just by a word! He is so powerful that just a breath from His mouth caused all of the stars to come into being. When you think of this promise, take time to reflect on the bigness of our God!

So many times in the busyness of life, we get caught up in our own struggles and the mountains that we face on a daily basis. When I think of this promise, I gain a perspective that is greater than my own experience. Though the mountains in my life are big, my God is much bigger! Though there are times when I feel overwhelmed by the orphan world system that I live in, I am encouraged when I think about the greatness of our God!

He is so powerful that He simply took a breath and the stars came into being. If that is the case, then I know that He is strong enough to save you and me (Zephaniah 3:17). No matter how insurmountable your circumstances are today, be encouraged that the God who created the heavens and the earth is your Heavenly Dad.

He is for you, not against you. May God help each one of us to rest in the amazing knowledge of His greatness today and His promise to care for everyone who belongs to Him.


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Promise #183:
I am faithful to keep My covenant of kindness to a thousand generations.


Deuteronomy 7:9 (WEB)
Know therefore that Yahweh your God, he is God, the faithful God,
who keeps covenant and loving kindness with them who love him
and keep his commandments to a thousand generations,


How long is a generation? Some say 40 years, others say 100 years. Whatever the number, multiply it by one thousand! Our God and Father promises to be faithful to His kids to a thousand generations! This promise encourages us to know that our God is faithful and that He will always keep his covenant of love and mercy...always!

Often the root of my struggles and anxieties are based on my difficulty to really believe this promise. Of course I know that God is faithful and that He is kind and merciful. But I believe that the understanding that I have of this promise has not fully possessed all my senses yet. If it did, I would never be anxious and I would never worry.

If you can identify with my own struggles, I want to encourage you. I believe that we are all on a journey of trust where God is convincing us more and more each day that He truly is trustworthy. I believe this statement from Andrew Bennett really expresses it well... 'The longest journey that a person can make is the 18" journey from their head to their heart'.

I believe that we are being convinced more and more that God is faithful and merciful and kind, and that He keeps His covenant of kindness to a thousand generations. The more we believe this promise to be true, the more we will yield to His love in our hearts and rest in His goodness.

My prayer is that today, as you read this promise, that it will become very real to you. I pray that you will know deep in your heart that your God and Father is faithful to keep His covenant of kindness to you for one thousand generations!


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Promise #185:
I am a father to the fatherless and I defend the cause of widows.


Psalm 68:5 (WEB)
A father of the fatherless,
and a defender of the widows,
is God in his holy habitation.


It is such a comfort to know that God promises to be a father to the fatherless. In this fatherless generation that we live in, there has never been a greater need for a Father's love than right now. With almost 50% of homes in many western countries ending up in divorce, there is a cry today that is echoed by Jesus' disciples in John 14:8 to... "Show us the Father and it will be enough!"

God not only promises to be a father to the literal fatherless, but also for every person who feels an empty void in their heart for the love that can only come from God Himself. No matter how great our earthly dads are or were, even the best of their love cannot compare to the immense love that flows from the Father to us through His Holy Spirit.

In the same way that fatherless children need fathers, widows need a husband. Divorcees, singles, etc. all need a protecting love. The NKJV, NLT, NIV Bible versions all translate the above WEB Bible to say that God is a defender of widows. The ESV Bible says that God is their protector. In Isaiah 62:5, God promises to rejoice over Israel just like a bridegroom rejoices over His bride.

So whatever love we need, God is the ultimate source of it. 1 John 4:16 tells us that God is love. Whether we need a father, a mother, a friend or a husband, the love of God promises to fill every love deficit in our heart. May we all be comforted in knowing this today.


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Promise #186:
I will not abandon My own inheritance.


Psalm 94:14 (WEB)
For Yahweh won’t reject his people,
neither will he forsake his inheritance.


My natural children are my children for life. No matter what they do, they are still my kids. While parents aren't always happy with the decisions their children make, that does not change the fact that they are still part of the family. Today's promise is a good reminder that the Lord will never reject us because He has made us His own inheritance. The NLT Bible calls us His 'special possession'.

Sometimes when we relate to God, it is as if we are picking the petals off of a flower, all the while saying "He loves me, He loves me not". Many times our reasoning behind such a concept is that our acceptance to Him is based on what we do and not who we are.

I praise God that His love for me is not based on my performance but on the once and for all finished work of Jesus Christ. When I received Christ into my life, I became part of the Father's amazing family! I am part of a family that My Heavenly Dad has promised to never abandon.

My prayer today is that we would all rest in the amazing truth that we are safe and secure in our Father's love for us. He will not abandon or forsake us...EVER! Simply because He has chosen to make us part of His amazing family.


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Promise #187:
I am the Lord your God who heals all your diseases.


Exodus 15:26 (WEB)
and he said, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, and will do that which is right in his eyes, and will pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you, which I have put on the Egyptians; for I am Yahweh who heals you.”

This promise takes place at the waters of Marah, where the Israelites came looking to find fresh water to quench their thirst. Instead of finding a place to drink, they found bitter water which caused them to rise up and complain against Moses. In response to Moses' prayer, the Lord showed him a tree to throw into the water. As soon as the tree went into the water, the water became sweet and drinkable.

It is right after this encounter that God makes today's promise to the Israelites. He tells them that if they will only listen to Him and obey His direction, that they will not suffer the diseases that the Egyptians suffered. Our Heavenly Father goes on to declare a promise that is as relevant today as it was back then... "For I am the LORD that healeth thee". (KJV)

Whatever your affliction, whatever your sickness, God can take the bitterness of your experience and make the bitter waters sweet by one single tree, which I believe represents the cross of Christ. The Bible says that Jesus was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities and by His stripes we are healed. This is a promise that we can count on...for our God is a God that heals us!


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Promise #188:
My love for you will last forever.


Jeremiah 31:3 (WEB)
Yahweh appeared of old to me, saying,
Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love:
therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you.


What does it mean for God to love us with an everlasting love? My dear friend, Jack Winter, once told me that being loved with an everlasting love meant that there was never a time in all eternity when I wasn't loved. I was loved before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-6), I was loved when I was knit together in my mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), and I was loved on the day I was born (Psalm 71:6).

Jesus carried this revelation of His Father's eternal love deep within His being. There was absolutely no question that He knew that His Father had always loved Him. In John 17:24, in His High Priestly prayer to His Father, He makes a very important declaration...

Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may see my glory, which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world. (WEB) This was the most important thing on Jesus' radar. That He was loved by the Father with an everlasting love.

The reality is that we have all been loved as much as Jesus has been loved by the Father (John 17:23), even from the very foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-6). I believe the more that we become aware of how much love our Father lavishes on us (1 John 3:1), the more we will become convinced that nothing in all creation will ever separate us from that amazing love (Romans 8:38-39).

The truth is that our Father not only loves you, He IS loving you right now. It is my prayer that today, we all might be more aware of the intense, eternal, immeasurable love that God loves us with yesterday, today and forever!


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Promise #189:
I give good gifts to My children when they ask.


Matthew 7:11 (WEB)
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father who is in heaven
give good things to those who ask him!


In this part of The Sermon On The Mount, Jesus is encouraging His listeners to not be afraid to ask God for what they need. In the preceding verses, Jesus encourages people to keep on asking, keep on seeking and keep on knocking. The promise that He makes is that those who ask will receive, those who seek will find, and those who knock will have the door opened to them.

In this particular promise, Jesus relates the hearts of earthly fathers to the heart of His heavenly Father. Even though they are sinful, earthly fathers still know how to give good gifts to their kids. If that is the case, HOW MUCH MORE will the perfect Father (Matthew 5:48) in heaven give good gifts to those who ask?

I remember a time back in January 2001, when I felt the Lord encourage me to ask Him for His blessing on my life and the work of my hands. At the time, I was working on our fathersloveletter.com website which had a steady flow of 3,000 visits per day. After hearing His encouragement to ask Him to bless us, I felt bold enough to ask God to increase the daily visits from 3,000 visits per day to 10,000 visits!

I thought that was a pretty big step of faith considering that it represented more than a 300% increase. Within one week, our web traffic increased to 10,000 visits per day. Within another week, it had skyrocketed to 30,000 visits per day which was three times what I could even dare to ask for!

I am learning more and more every day that God wants to really be a Father to me (2 Corinthians 6:18) in every area of my life. More than anything else, He wants my heart and He wants me to know that I am His child. A child who has complete unrestricted access to my Dad night and day. I know it pleases His heart most when I seek His face and not just His hand. I know that He loves it when I love Him for Him and not for what He gives me.

However, Jesus still encourages us to ask our Dad for what we need, for He already knows what we need even before we ask! May you find the courage today to go boldly into your heavenly Father's throne room and ask Him for what you need, for He is a giver of every good and perfect gift that flows from heaven (James 1:17).


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Promise #190:
Jesus is not ashamed to be called your big brother.


Hebrews 2:11 (WEB)
For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one,
for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers,


My brother is 3 1/2 years older than me. When we were growing up, he blazed the trail ahead of me in most everything in life... School, our parents, work, friends, even girls. Though we did go through many of the things that other siblings go through, my brother was always there to help guide me through life.

Throughout my school years, it was comforting to know that my big brother was always there to protect me from bullies and to help me transition from one grade to another. It is really great having a big brother!

In Romans 8, the Bible says that Jesus is the first born among many brothers and sisters (Romans 8:29). In today's promise, the writer of Hebrews is telling us that Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father, is not ashamed to call us His family. What an amazing truth! Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah... is our big brother!

He has gone before us in every way. The Bible says that He suffered every temptation common to man yet without sin. He is a faithful High Priest who understands all of our struggles. He took upon Himself our sin and He has shared His vast inheritance with us. ...And He is not ashamed to be called our big brother!

My encouragement today is to take some time to reflect on the fact that God's eternal plan was to bring you into His everlasting family so that He could be your Father and Jesus could be your big brother. What an amazing salvation we have in the Triune God... Father, Son & Holy Spirit! Hallelujah!


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Promise #191:
I forgive sins and I love to show mercy.


Micah 7:18 (WEB)
Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity,
and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage?
He doesn’t retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness.


There is no one like our God and Father. He is the kindest, most loving, most forgiving Father ever. In today's promise, the KJV Bible says the He delighteth in mercy. This means that God actually loves to show mercy. He actually enjoys being merciful to us on every occasion.

Some images of God that we see in our society today is that of an angry old man in the sky, pointing his bony finger towards humanity in judgment. We also see Jesus in his high priestly role crying out to His Father to not pour out His wrath on the human race.

This image of God couldn't be any farther from the truth. It was God's idea to send His own Son to the earth because of His great love (John 3:16). It was God's idea to adopt us into His family before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-6). Our God and Father loves to forgive our sins and show us mercy at every occasion.

May every wrong image that we have of God be consumed in the fire of His love today. May His mercy go deep into our own hearts so that we might become merciful even as our Heavenly Father is merciful (Luke 6:36).


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Promise #192:
I have poured My love into your heart by My Spirit.


Romans 5:5 (WEB)
and hope doesn’t disappoint us,
because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.


The photo of today's promise was taken at Niagara Falls. Since I have the luxury of living within 15 miles of this great natural wonder, it is easy for me to go there anytime I like. The volumes of water that pass over both the American Falls and the Horseshoe Falls are absolutely astounding. Day and night, the water continues to pour over the edge of this escarpment crashing down on the rocks below. It simply never ends.

That is why I chose this photo to illustrate the promise that God continues to pour His love into our hearts by His Holy Spirit which He has given us. His love for us is a rushing river of His goodness towards us that never ends. While this truth is more real than everything else around us, it is easy to struggle to actually comprehend the greatness of God's love for us. I often feel that words fail to adequately describe His love.

That is why we need the help of the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 3, Paul prays that we would be rooted and grounded in love and that we would have power to grasp how big and wide and high and deep is His love for us in Jesus Christ. Just as we could never count how many gallons of water are rushing over Niagara Falls every second, we cannot measure the love that God is pouring into our hearts by any natural means.

The only way we can hope to fathom the eternal, everlasting, never ending love that God has for us is by the Holy Spirit which He has given us. Today, why don't you ask God to give you power to grasp the vastness of His love for you? For it is through His very own Spirit that He actually pours His love into our hearts 24 hours a day, just like the raging waters of Niagara Falls.Police system s


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Promise #193:
I have put My law within you and have written it on your heart.


Jeremiah 31:33 (WEB)
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, says Yahweh:
I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it;
and I will be their God, and they shall be my people:


In this promise, the Lord tells Israel that a day is coming where He will place His very law in their inward parts and write it on their hearts. No longer will they struggle to walk in God's plan and purpose for them because His plan and purpose will be inside of them.

When Jesus died and was buried and rose from the dead, He brought in a completely new covenant where He exchanged our life for His life. Everything that Jesus had, became ours. The law of our God has now been written on our hearts because our old life has died and our new life is hid with Christ in God.

Because of Jesus, His God has become our God, and we have become His people. What a glorious promise and the fulfillment of the new covenant that God spoke of in Jeremiah's day. We are not separate from God and His ways. He lives in us and through us by the power of His Holy Spirit. We can rest in this amazing truth. He has written His law on our hearts!


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