We Always Leave Out the Good Part

Well, you know how I’m all about promises this year? 

(If you didn’t know that, you should go read my post about promises!) 

So I keep coming back to this one verse, a verse I’ve heard countless times. It’s a verse of promise. Only, for some reason, the promise part never gets preached. 

We always stop right before the good part. 

Yes, it’s all good- but we leave out the really good part. 

Maybe because it's also the hard part.

Wondering what the verse is? It’s Isaiah 54:17. 

“So no weapon that is used against you will defeat you. 

You will show that those who speak against you are wrong. 

These are the good things my servants receive. 

Their victory comes from me," says the Lord.

All of my life I’ve heard: No weapon formed against you will prosper. But what about the rest of the verse? These are the good things. THESE are the good things. 

God has promised good things to those who serve Him. If you do not serve God, then I hate to tell you this, but, this promise doesn’t apply to you. If God’s not on your side (in your heart), then expect to be defeated eventually. If, however, God is on your side, then this verse says to expect a victory from Him. He'll fight for You. 

See, some promises are unconditional. God loves us- ALWAYS. 

Jesus was sent for EVERYONE. These are promises that don’t come with any catch.

What I’m learning though, is that some promises do come with a catch. 

But it’s a good catch. An example is Psalm 91:9-10.

“If you make the Most High your dwelling- 

even the Lord, who is my refuge- 

then no harm will befall you, 

no disaster will come near your tent.”

There are two key words in these verses, and I put a big box around them in my Bible. 

IF and THEN. It’s a conditional promise. 

Do you want to be protected, with no harm near you or your house? 

Then make the Most High your dwelling, seek God above all else. 

If you want the blessing and the promise- then you have to give a little (or everything).

Just like the promise in Psalms is conditional, so is the promise in Isaiah. If you don’t want weapons to destroy you, then you must first be a servant of the Lord.

So where does this leave us? Well I’m here, praying that God would help me. 

Help me be His servant. Help me seek Him above everything. 

Help me to make Him my Dwelling Place. 

I want those benefits. I want the things You’ve promised me, God. 

And yes, I’m willing to do whatever it takes, whatever You call me to do.