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2 Corinthians 1:20 - Standing on the Promises of God! (updated)

2 Corinthians 1:20 - Standing on the Promises of God! (updated)

2 Corinthians 1:20 (ICB) The "yes" to all of God's promises is 
in Christ. And that is why we say "amen" through Christ to the 
glory of God.  

2 Corinthians 1:20 (RSV) For all the promises of God find their 
yes in Him. That is why we utter the amen through Him, to the glory 
of God.  

  Christians need comfort. While trying to help the church,. 
Paul experienced suffering so intense that he was almost ready to 
give up (vv. 8-9). God does not shelter His people from trials, not 
even gifted apostles who are doing His will. 'Be kind," said John 
Watson, "for everyone you meet is fighting a battle." 
  Christians receive comfort. Your God is the "God of all 
comfort" (v. 3), and He will give you the grace you need when you need 
it. Sufferings are not accidents; they are divine appointments, and 
your Father is in complete control. You will find comfort in praying, 
in claiming the promises of the Word (vv. 18-20), and in having 
deeper fellowship with the Lord. 
  Christians share comfort. God's comfort is not given; it is 
loaned, and you are expected to pass it on to others. The pain you 
experience now will help you encourage others in their trials. When you 
suffer, avoid self-pity, for self-pity will make you a reservoir instead 
of a channel. If you fail to share God's comfort with others, your 
experience in the furnace will be wasted; and it is a tragic thing to waste 
your sufferings. [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren 
Wiersbe re 2 Cor. 1] 

All the promises of God find their yes in Christ, and through 
Him we say amen." In other words, the promises of God are true in 
Christ--He fulfills them, and He gives us the faith to claim them. How 
grateful we ought to be for the unchanging Word of God! Often it takes 
trouble and trial in our lives before we claim and trust the promises of 
God. We make plans, but God overrules them. We make promises and are 
not always able to keep them. But in Christ, all the promises of 
God's Word find their fulfillment, and in Him we have the power to 
claim these promises for ourselves and our situation. [Wiersbe 
Expository Outlines] 

Let us remember that no earthly circumstances can hinder the 
fulfillment of God's Word. We must look steadfastly at His immutable Word 
and not at the uncertainty of this ever-changing world. God desires 
for us to believe His Word without other evidence, and then He is 
ready to do for us "according to [our] faith." [Streams In The Desert 
By Cowman re Mat.9:29] 

As we communicate with God, our Father, it is good to know what 
His promises to us are.  If we don't know them, how can we stand on 
them?  It is important to know that we can ask according to His 
declared will and the answer will always be YES!  As this verse states, 
His promises already have a stamp on them that reads "So be it" 
(Amen)!  What confidence we can have as we ask God to make His promises 
affective in our lives.  Begin today by finding promises in God's Word to 
attach to your specific requests.  Write them out and then memorize 
them.  Your faith will grow, along with your desire to pray, as you 
see the promises of God made good in your own life! [In His Time; 
Walk With Wisdom] 

  Paul preached uncompromisingly of Jesus Christ, who is the 
fulfillment of all God's promises. Peace, provision, salvation, deliverance, 
forgiveness--Jesus is the divine affirmation to all of God's 
promises. Knowing that 
 his promises are true gives us strength, encouragement, and a solid 
foundation for our prayers. Understanding that God has the power to do what 
he has promised and that he never breaks his promises gives us 
confidence as we come to his throne of grace. Meditating on his promises 
reminds us of his faithfulness to all generations. But God doesn't want 
us only to think on his great and precious promises or merely to 
thank him for his promises. He wants us to turn them into prayers and 
petitions, to ask him to continue to fulfill his promises, for they reflect 
his will and purpose for our lives and for his church. 
  PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for your great and precious promises! 
Thank you for reminding us that Jesus is the "divine Yes," the 
affirmation of all your promises. Help me to sense and experience your love 
behind every promise as I trust in you. And help me to pray with 
confidence because I know that not one of your promises will ever fail. 
  QUOTE: Though the Bible be crowded with golden promises from 
board to board, yet will they be inoperative until we turn them into 
prayer. F. B. Meyer (1847-1929) [Praying Through The Bible By Fuller] 

  All of us have times in life when a crisis or problem seems 
larger than we can possibly bear, and we become very fearful. Often, 
however, the Lord has to get our attention through such an adversity to 
cause us once more to rely solely on His promises. 
  Bible scholars have pointed out that the phrase "fear not" 
appears in the Bible 365 times--a reassuring promise for each day of the 
year. A daily dependence upon the divine promises is the only real 
remedy for our human fears. Often even well-intentioned parents make 
hasty promises to their children, promises they are unable to fulfill. 
How different are the promises of God! They are "yea and amen," the 
only assurances on which we can securely stand....  only as we stand on 
God's promises are we enabled to live with purpose for God's glory. 
    Standing on the promises of Christ my King, thru eternal 
ages let His praises ring; glory in the highest I will shout and 
sing, standing on the promises of God. 
    Standing on the promises that cannot fail, when the howling 
storms of doubt and fear assail, by the living Word of God I shall 
prevail, standing on the promises of God. 
    Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord, bound to Him 
eternally by love's strong cord, overcoming daily with the Spirit's sword, 
standing on the promises of God. 
    Standing on the promises I now can see perfect, present 
cleansing in the blood for me; standing in the liberty where Christ makes 
free, standing on the promises of God, 
    Standing on the promises" I cannot fall, list'ning ev'ry 
moment to the Spirit's call, resting in my Savior as my all in all, 
standing on the promises of God. 
    Chorus: Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God 
my Savior. Standing, standing, I'm standing on the promises of 
God. 
  Claim a scriptural promise each day. Live confidently in its 
truth. Carry this tune as a reminder - standing, standing, standing on 
the promises of God my Savior. Standing, standing, I'm standing on 
the promises of God. [Amazing Grace by Kenneth Osbeck] 

  God keeps every promise He makes. When we walk in intimate 
fellowship with Christ, we have the assurance that every promise God has 
made in Scripture is available to us. This truth should motivate us 
to search the Scriptures for each promise in order to meditate upon 
its potential for our life. 
  Jesus promised that when you ask for something in His will, He 
will give you what you ask (John 16:23b). This promise is available 
to every Christian. If you ask God if this promise applies to your 
life, His answer is yes. If you are not now experiencing this promise, 
it does not change the fact that God has said it. You may need to 
seek God's answer for why His promise has not yet reached maturity in 
you. 
  Paul claimed he had tested each of these promises in his own 
life and found them all to be abundantly true. That's why he could 
speak of the "exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us 
in Christ Jesus" (Eph 2:7b) and the "unsearchable riches of Christ" 
(Eph 3:8b). Paul had found a wealth of God's promises and enjoyed 
them all in abundance. 
  Don't become discouraged or impatient if you are not 
experiencing to the fullest all of God's promises in your life. God may want 
to prepare you to receive some of the great truths He has made 
available to you. Walk closely with your Lord and, in time, you will see 
Him bring His promises to fruition in your life. [Experiencing God 
Day by Day by Henry and Richard Blackaby re 2Co. 1:20]