I remember the first time I heard my daughter make the promise she’s repeated to her children many times. Lauren, her toddler, clung to her as she attempted to leave.
“Mummy’s going out for a little while, but I’ll be back. I promise.” She untangled Lauren’s arms from around her legs and gathered her up, pressing their foreheads together. Nose-to-nose and eyes to eyes, she said, “Mummy always comes back.”
And she has, over, and over, and over again.
This sweet ritual now encompasses not only Lauren but her three siblings. Sometimes, as my daughter walks out the door, she’ll begin the promise.
“Mummy’s going out for a while, but I’ll be back. I promise. Remember, Mummy . . .”
And the kids will finish it: “. . . always comes back.”
In the 11 years of coming and going, she’s probably repeated her promise hundreds of times. By God’s grace, it will always be true. But even if it isn’t, her children will always have a Parent who will always keep His promises.
Our Father’s Promises
Thousands of years ago, our Father God set the world in motion. He created the sun, the moon, and the stars. He planted a beautiful garden and gave it to the first man and woman. Like my daughter, He made promises to those He loves. Thousands of them.
He promised:
- To send a Redeemer to save us from our sins (Genesis 3:14–15).
- To never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8).
- To instruct and teach us in the way we should go (Psalm 32:8).
- To carry our burdens and give us rest (Matthew 11:28–29).
- To infuse us with His strength when we are weak (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).
- To replace our anxiety with peace (Philippians 4:6–7).
- To fight for us (Exodus 14:14).
- To make all things in our lives work for good (Romans 8:28).
- To walk with us through deep waters (Isaiah 43:2).
I’ve often wondered why God made promises. Isn’t the strength of His character enough to guarantee His care?
Absolutely.
But God’s promises give us something to cling to when life’s circumstances overwhelm us.
An Anchor for Our Souls
As I waited for scary medical test results, I held onto the promise of Psalm 23:4 (ESV): “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
When my husband lost his job and we had no way to pay our bills, we clung to the promise of God’s care in Luke 12:24: “Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!”
Memorising God’s promises gave me tools to battle fear, doubt, and disbelief.
When I struggled to discern God’s will and make the right decisions for my family, I claimed the promise of James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
Memorising God’s promises gave me tools to battle fear, doubt, and disbelief. Stepping out in faith based on them strengthened my faith muscles, and gave God an opportunity to display His power and faithfulness. Meditating on them gives me glimpses of God’s character and overwhelming love for me.
Pages and Pages of God’s Promises
One year, as I read through the Bible, I made a list of God’s promises. By the end of the year, I had written pages and pages. Many promises were conditional, like James 4:8: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
Others were unconditional, like John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
When I feel the tremors of fear, I recount the promises He’s given, remember His faithfulness to me in the past, and rest on His unquestionable character.
God gave most promises to those who believe in Him, but, in His mercy, He also included some for those who’ve not yet come to faith. Perhaps the most famous, John 3:16, offers eternal life to all who would believe: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Now that my grandchildren are older, they seldom feel anxious when their mother goes away.
They don’t fear that their mother will abandon them. Because she’s faithfully returned time after time, she’s earned their trust. They know Mummy always comes back.
Jesus Always Keeps His Promises
I’ve grown older in my faith, but sometimes I still feel anxious. Will God abandon me? Will He fail to do what He promised?
When I feel the tremors of fear, I recount the promises He’s given, remember His faithfulness to me in the past, and rest on His unquestionable character. My fears diminish, and peace fills my heart.
Some days, I think about Jesus’s promise to His disciples. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3).
This promise might just be my favourite. It tells me that Jesus is—right now—preparing a forever home for me.
It tells me I’ll spend eternity in God’s presence.
And it reminds me that, no matter what, Jesus always comes back.
Hope in the Midst of Anxiety
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