Standing on the Promises

One of my favorite childhood hymns was “Standing on the Prom-
ises of Love.” As I grew up, keeping promises became a powerful covenant, and I was sure of two promises God had made: He loved me and through Jesus I would be reborn into an Eternal Life. What this New Life would look like I wasn’t really clear on, but it sounded like a pretty good deal.

Even today, a core value for me is keeping promises, whether spiritual, personal or professional because strong relationships call for trust. Like you, when I make a promise to my family, I will do everything humanly possible to keep my word. But human promises also come with an invisible warning label that tells us there is no guarantee that they won’t be broken. Deadlines, illness, automobile traffic, bad weather and even forgetfulness can defeat the most heartfelt promises. No matter how hard we try, at some point we let people down.

Easter wraps me in the clarity and mystery of Jesus’ resurrection, promising me that I too can be transformed by His love and sacrifice. This is His promise to all of us in a world that churns with uncertainty, destruction and distrust. God is our constant in such a world, the same today and tomorrow, and with Him the covenant is unbreakable, guaranteed for life. Easter reminds me that I am standing on the promises of God.

— Leia Francisco