In Christ

Not a single one of all the good promises the LORD had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true. [Joshua 21.45]

Wow, that's pretty cool.

So, what promises has God given us? 

What promises has He given me?

How long will it take before all He has promised me will be fulfilled?

These are all good questions. However, not a one of them has an answer unless first we understand what answer we are expecting! In other words, how will we know if God has fulfilled His promises to us if we don't know what the promises are? How can we recognize an answered prayer unless we have first prayed the prayer?

We simply must know what God has spoken (promised) that applies to us.

It will help if at first we remind ourselves that the Old Testament is all about Jesus. If we fail to see Jesus in the Old Testament, we will be inclined to think it is just nice Bible stories that are largely irrelevant to us. Sure, we will glean principles to live by, but we won't really get it. 

However, if we look for and find Jesus in all the Old Testament as it relates to the life He lived on earth chronicled in the New Testament, then the whole Bible becomes critical to our understanding of and relationship with God.

Deuteronomy 28 promised a LOT of good stuff to those who obey God. On the other hand, Deuteronomy 28 promised a LOT of bad stuff to those who disobey God. How does this have anything to do with Christ? It has everything to do with Christ because our lives are hid with Him in God! My obedience is not really my own, but Christ's. My disobedience was punished in Christ. The measure of faith I have been given that I then place in Christ puts me in Christ! And, in Christ, my obedience is complete and my punishment for disobedience is complete.

What I now have to look forward to is every blessing defined in Deuteronomy 28. Likewise, I can look forward to every curse being removed because its cause has been settled on the cross of Jesus. Jesus paid it all. Perhaps that is why He said on the cross, "It is finished."

So I really don't have to look forward to these blessings afforded by Jesus' work! They are already mine IN HIM! IN HIM are all the blessings. IN HIM is the Good News. In HIM I am released from the prison of the curses. IN HIM I am healed. IN HIM I am freed from oppression. IN HIM I live and walk in the time of the LORD's favor! 

My only mandate is to remain IN HIM. 

Not a single one of all the good promises the LORD had given to [ME] was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true [IN CHRIST].

Father, I believe.