The Lord's many promises

Psalm 145:18-20 (NASB)

The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.  He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him.  He will also hear their cry and will save them.  The LORD keeps all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. 

Note all the promises in this passage.  The Lord is near, the Lord will fulfill your desires, the Lord will hear your cries, the Lord will save you, the Lord will keep you and the Lord will destroy the wicked.  At least six promises in these three verses.  Let’s look at them more deeply.

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth

When you call upon the Lord, you are demonstrating the act of faith and He responds to those who show faith.  I believe that the phrase “call upon Him in truth” refers to an act of faith based on what you read in your Bible since the Bible is truth (John 17:17) and calling in the name of Jesus since He is the truth (John 1:14, 14:6)

He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him

To fear God is to reverence Him, to have utmost respect for Him and it shows by the way you think, speak, and act.  Read Psalm 25:12-15 that is a beautiful description of who is the man who fears the Lord.  Read Psalm 37:4 that describes desires of the heart fulfilled. 

He will hear their cry

Here is one of many promises in Scripture that God hears you whenever you cry out to him.  The Old Testament is full of stories of how God heard and answered the cries of His people.  God will hear the cries of His children as long as you are in reverence to Him.  However, He will not hear your cries if you regard (treasure) wickedness in your heart (Psalm 66:18)

He will save them

The Hebrew word used for save means to deliver, to rescue, to give victory.  Claim His promise to help you in this way as long as you remain faithful to Him and give him your utmost respect and honor. 

He will keep you

This promise reminds me of the promise of Jesus in John 10:27-29 that no one can snatch the sheep of God out of the Father’s hand.  He will never leave you or forsake you as His follower (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 12:5). 

All the wicked He will destroy

Wicked people are those in God’s sight who are guilty of sin and have not been forgiven.  All Christians are forgiven so you can never be destroyed.  All others cannot be assured of this.  God is a loving Father, but He is also a just Lord who clearly states in His Word many times that the wicked will be destroyed.  Do a Bible study yourself and find all the passages that teach this.  But, realize that those who seek the Lord will find Him and never be viewed as wicked by Him, regardless of your sins, because you have the Spirit of Christ within you and that is whom God sees in you.  

Which of these promises strikes you the most right now?  Why?  What action(s) will you take as a result?