Hey Church!
The worship team and I plan to open our service this Sunday with the song “Yes and Amen” by Housefires. We have sung it a few times before, so I hope the melody will be familiar to you. But I wanted to give a quick refresher on its meaning because, to me at least, saying “all your promises are yes and amen” with any sense of conviction requires some forethought.
The title of the song comes from 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NKJV): “For all the promises of God in [Jesus Christ] are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” Sometimes the way Paul speaks, at least in our English translations, is a little frustrating to me. The statement, “‘promises are yes” makes very little sense. However, the Greek word translated in our Bibles as “yes” is really an emphatic affirmation of a statement, like “yes, it is sure.” The word “amen” is actually very similar as it means “it is true” or “indeed.” That would read, “For all the promises of God in [Jesus Christ] are sure, and in Him true, to the glory of God through us.”
The question then becomes, “What are the promises of God?” There are probably hundreds of them that you can spend the weekend recalling. Remember them and be sure to take time to let their meaning sink in deeply, that His Word might bring you a deep sense of love, joy, gratitude, hope, and peace. Below is a short list to get your wheels turning.
God has promised…
To give eternal life to those who believe in Him (Jn. 3:36)
To be with you wherever you go (Josh. 1:9)
To meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19)
To be your light, salvation, and stronghold, in whom we have nothing to fear (Ps. 27:1)
To hear the cries of His righteous ones and deliver them from all trouble (Ps. 34:17)
To give you the desires of your heart, when He is your delight (Ps. 37:4)
To forgive (Ps. 86:5; 1 Jn. 1:9)
To avenge the righteous and execute perfect justice (Rom. 12:19)
To indelibly write your name in the Father’s book of life (Rev. 3:5)
To work all things together for His glory and your good (Rom. 8:28)
To justify and save you (Rom. 10:9-10)
He will never forsake you (Ps. 9:10; Heb. 13:5)
To guard your heart in His perfect peace (Phil. 4:6-7)
To make your paths straight (Prov. 3:5-6)
To satisfy your desires with good things (Ps. 103:5)
To do whatever you ask in His Name (Jn. 14:13-16)
To take care of your most basic, human needs (Matt. 6:25-34)
To give mercy and grace in your time of need (Heb. 4:16)
To be near to the brokenhearted (Ps. 34:18)
To plead the cause of the weak, the fatherless, the poor, and the oppressed (Ps. 82:3)
To complete the Christ-forming work He began in you (Phil. 1:6)
And that barely covers the highlights! What other promises from God’s Word can you take comfort in this weekend?
Your brother,
Ryan
Songs for Sunday