So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
Devotional Thoughts
By David Wilkerson
For thirty-eight long years Israel forgot God's Word and dismissed out of mind His miracles. And because they fell back so often into murmuring and unbelief, God said, " I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them" (Numbers 14:12). He told Moses, "I'm giving up on My people — because they never will come to the place where they trust Me!"
When Israel was on the victorious side of Jordan, Moses made a solemn declaration. He said: "Look, the Lord your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 1:21).
"Yet, for all that, you did not believe the Lord your God... And the Lord heard the sound of your words, and was angry, and took an oath, saying, ‘Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I swore to give to your fathers" (verses 32, 34-35).
Beloved, God magnifies His Word above His name. He means every word He says. And all of these things God told Israel are the same things He has told us. I ask you — will we not also incur His wrath if we act in unbelief?
Paul wrote: "... God, (who) cannot lie, promised [life eternal] before the time began" (Titus 1:2). And the author of Hebrews wrote: "... it is impossible for God to lie, [so that] we might have a strong consolation..." (Hebrews 6:18).
Today God says to us clearly, "I can and I will." Yet how do we respond to His Word? We immediately question Him! "Can God do it? Will He do it?"
We read His Word and hear all His promises from the pulpit. But then we go to our corner and fret because we don't see Him immediately doing what we think He should do for us. We are loaded with doubt and unbelief!
When we do not let His Word anchor our souls — when we hear great and precious promises, then act as if we've been abandoned — we make God out to be a liar!