Greetings, brothers and sisters in Christ and children of God from New Day Christian Church of Las Vegas

Have you ever made a promise and then struggled to keep it? Most of us have. Keeping a promise can be difficult, especially when unexpected circumstances interfere with our plans. We also know how painful it can feel when someone breaks a promise to us. A broken promise can leave us feeling disappointed, hurt, or unsure whether we can trust that person again. This is especially true with children. We may make promises to them with every intention of following through, but life can get in the way. When that happens, children may not understand the circumstances; they may only feel the hurt of a promise that was not kept. That is why promises matter. When a promise is broken, trust can be broken too.

God made promises to Abram, who would later be called Abraham. These promises became known as the Abrahamic Covenant. In this covenant, God promised that Abraham would become a great nation. He also promised to bless Abraham and make his name great (Gen. 12:2). The Lord also promised Abraham that his descendants would be numerous, like the stars of the sky (Gen. 15:5). God kept that promise, just as He has always kept His promises. Even when people have broken their covenant with the Lord, God has remained faithful. Do we hurt God when we break our promises? Perhaps we do. Yet God is never surprised by our failures, because He knows our brokenness and understands that man has been affected by the fall.

The Lord also made a promise to Moses, known as the Mosaic Covenant. This covenant was made with the people of Israel, the descendants of Jacob. God promised that if Israel faithfully kept His covenant, they would be His treasured people. They would also become “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:5–6). A key part of this covenant was the moral foundation given through the Ten Commandments. These commandments reveal God’s standard, but they can be difficult to keep apart from the help of the Holy Spirit. God understood how difficult it would be for His people to keep the covenant perfectly. Because of this, He graciously provided a “clause” in His covenant that can restore our relationship with Him through humility, forgiveness, and grace.

The clause God added to this covenant may be understood as the “Hope Clause.” It reveals that God knew we could not perfectly keep our promises to Him. This clause was not an afterthought. It was always part of God’s plan to restore all creation. Through it, God offers the hope of new life to those who receive what He has provided. That hope is found in Christ Jesus, the Son of God. Without Him, we cannot be restored to God. Through Him, however, the promise of restoration becomes possible.

Jesus also made promises, including the promise of His return. In John, He says that He will come back and take His followers to be with Him (John 14:3). John also records the words of Christ in Revelation that Jesus is coming soon, and His reward is with Him. Each person will receive according to what they have done (Rev 22:12).

How do we know this hope is true? We see it in God’s first promise, spoken after Adam and Eve disobeyed Him. After the fall, the Lord spoke to the serpent and declared that there would be enmity between the serpent’s offspring and the offspring of the woman. He also promised that the offspring of the woman would crush the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:14–15). This promise points forward to God’s plan of redemption and shows that, even after humanity’s failure, God was already providing hope. God promises hope.

Last week, the little lambs investigated the story of Joseph, the son of Jacob. They explored whether the story was real and whether Joseph was a real person. Their sleuthing uncovered Egyptian details and archaeological evidence that align with what is written in the Bible. The story is also so detailed that it strongly supports its historical credibility. This week, the detectives will pull out their magnifying glasses again as they search for evidence that supports the reality of the story of Moses.

I look forward to worshiping with you this week and giving praise to the one and true God through songs of joy and dancing before Him who perfectly made us in His image. If, for any reason, I do not see you, may the Lord bless you with peace, joy, and love, and may He comfort you, guide you, and heal you when you are in need.

Join us for service this week at New Day Christian Church of Las Vegas. We meet at 10AM in the sanctuary downstairs. Children’s church meets upstairs, you can drop your kids at 9:45. Youth group attends worship and then goes to youth group after.

God bless you,

Your Brother in Christ,

Michael (aka Mr. Michael)