As we focused the last month on learning to depend on God, we now turn to its application – living our lives with purpose and with power. We begin with the foundation of such a life – understanding God’s promises to us:

IN WORD – Imagine how you would feel if Jesus walked up to you and said, “I am sending you on a mission to live a godly life and to represent Me to your world. This won’t be an easy mission, but I will give you everything you need. I will be there with you the whole time, but you won’t be able to see Me. Nevertheless, I will walk with you everywhere you go, and whenever you need anything for this mission—anything at all—I will give it to you. It’s a promise.”
Would you accept this mission? It isn’t hypothetical, of course. You have already been chosen for this mission, and, if you’re reading this, you have probably already accepted it. More than that, whether you realize it or not, you have accepted it on these very terms.
The promises of God Himself—very great and precious promises, we are assured—are part of the contract. Everything you need for life and godliness—in other words, everything period—is available to you. The only catch is this: You have to know the promises, and you have to ask Him in faith to fulfill them. Other than that, there are no overriding restrictions. Do you believe that? Do you realize that everything for life and godliness has been promised? Do you understand that every time we say we couldn’t help our sin, we didn’t have enough resources for the mission, or we couldn’t get along with someone we’re required to relate to, we’re deceiving ourselves and contradicting His Word?
The great and precious promises are rock-solid guarantees. Everything we need is available.
IN DEED – God’s great and precious promises are like a forgotten storehouse containing priceless goods. The treasures within it are mind-boggling. The ignorance about them is mind-boggling too. There’s a gap between the fact of the promises and our willingness to believe them. And Peter’s words are an emphatic encouragement to bridge that gap. The promises are everywhere—and God invites us to count on them completely. “There is a living God . . . He means what He says and will do all He has promised.” —Hudson Taylor (in “Worship the King” by Chris Tiegreen)

Hudson Taylor, the founder of China Inland Mission (now Overseas Missionary Fellowship, OMF), was one of the first people to rely on “faith-based missions.” He never asked for money, but merely shared a vision and trusted that God would provide. As it prepares to celebrate the 160th anniversary of its founding, OMF and its missionaries still follow the same principle today, never asking for donations.
Are you willing to trust God in such a manner? Take time today to read Taylor’s witness of God’s constant and daily provision in a book written by his son, Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret (available for download at: https://bibletruthpublishers.com/the-spiritual-secret-of-hudson-taylor/dr-and-mrs-howard-taylor/lb26225-2853). Let God’s faithfulness in Taylor’s life inspire you to enjoy the same freedom as we trust in God’s promises. Have a blessed week! – from Singapore, Pastor Sam