A Promise Kept

Good Morning, Afternoon or Evening!

It’s Mr. Matt again and I am writing to you while my son is eating… again. I say again because this is the 4th meal he has had today and it mainly consists of peanut butter, raisins and milk with the graham crackers acting as an edible spoon of sorts with milk on the side…

I’ve moved a hammock into the garage and mounted a tv next to the weight equipment and installed a Roku and happily watched a movie and took a snooze with Chewie while my son napped today. I actually got to get out of the house today and yesterday which was pretty neat. The first was pretty funny in that we met some friends at Sonic and we talked to each other in our own cars with the windows down. Lame but… practical right? Then groceries where the guy at Kroger’s brings it out and sticks it in your car. I did wipe down the groceries afterwards before I brought them inside but… I have no idea if that does anything at all.

My son has also been listening to Dance Monkey on pretty much repeat… and has a really weird little dance to it. And… that’s pretty much my life! My father in law has another two weeks off work and is running out of things to do with his house and is pretty much doing a lot of the suggestions I gave y’all to do… he even has started to watch Shawn the Sheep by himself… I’m slightly worried for him hahaha.

I hope that y’all are doing well though!!! I have been reading the first chapter of James and some Church History in Plain Language (title of a book. Pastor Tommy Nelson says that if you know your church history, how to read your bible, and the life of Abraham, that you are smarter than just about anyone on the planet. Don’t know if that’s true but… you should read it) which I highly recommend if you want to learn what our other brother and sisters in Christ went through in times before ours.

I also have found it funny that the most watched movies and series right now on Netflix and a lot of the other streaming services are all about survival and the total destruction of the world. Its interesting that many adults are all really focusing on the need to carry on through this time by watching movie after movie and show after show of the total annihilation of the human race…

What’s very interesting about the Christian worldview (how we live and think about every aspect of living in the world and how we define who we are while living and what happens to us after death) is that we have confidence in where we go next, and that confidence gives us hope and endurance and faith to live each day well and we should bring this hope and endurance and faith and give it to others.

This leads me to what the Lord taught me today in James in this verse that states, “A man who endures trials is blessed because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised” (1:12).

Now, this verse led me to a number of different rabbit trails. But the main one I will focus on is the phrase ‘will receive’ and ‘promise’. We should all by now understand what this means. Right?

I say that will do something. So, I will do it. Right? I say that I promise something. And then what I promised, I will do. Right? And it should be that anytime anyone said they will do something or promise something that no matter what, they will do that. Right?

But… unfortunately y’all are old enough to also know that this isn’t always the case with people. Parents, siblings, friends, relatives, pastors, all the people in your life at some point either have, or just did or will somehow not follow through with their promise. And that… stinks. It’s awful. It’s the absolute worst. And it hurts. And it leads to fear. And fear, it leads to anger. And anger leads to hate. And hate leads to suffering. And suffering? …it leads to the path to be a Sith… the dark side of the force. (If you don’t know what this is you might be a little cooler than I am… but I have a dog named Chewbacca so… I think I’m cool enough.)

But then if you take a second you realize… that you can’t even always do what you say… and you have said quite a few times that you will do something and then... forgotten. Or chosen not to do it. Or promised something and not gone through. And you have broken your promise. That feeling stinks too doesn’t it? And it upsets the person in life that you gave your word to. And then, that person will begin to doubt you when you promise something just like you begin to doubt people too. And you realize that a lot of times… people lie when they say they promise something.

Now, I want to give credit to people that might be in your life that are actually really good at following through when they promise something. This is a very rare thing and attribute and you should always appreciate this and be thankful for this!

But the one you should be most thankful for is the Lord! Because when He promises, He always does what he says. And here is a scripture that backs this knowledge up! It’s in the Old Testament said by a man named Balaam and this is what he says, “God is not a man who lies or a son of man who changes his mind. Does he speak and not act or promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19).

So when God says, “Remember, I will be with you, even to the end of the age.” He will be with you. And if He says you will receive a crown of life. You will receive it.

Neat huh? Just remember one thing though… that verse says this… “A man who endures trials is blessed because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised” (1:12).

What test? How do I pass? Can I fail? Ahhhhhh! So many questions. So many answers. Don't worry! I want you to rest today in the fact that what the Lord says, the Lord does. And James calls those who are a servant of Jesus Christ and acknowledge Him as Lord ‘the ones dearly loved’ by God.

Be healthy! Stay safe! Be a blessing to the ones you have in your life.

Mr. Matt

P.S.

John 10:27-29

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand."

Psalm 139

is a good read too!