Daily Devotional | God Keeps His Promises

If I make a promise to one of my children, I can be sure they will not forget it. Whether it’s a promise to get ice cream after dinner or go to the park, they will not rest until my promise is kept. In any relationship, keeping promises is an important part of building trust. I want my children to know that they can count on me to keep my word.

The most important verses in Genesis are God’s initial promises to Abraham: “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing...and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen. 12:2–3). God specified that the land of Canaan would be given to Abraham’s descendants as their inheritance (Gen. 17:8).

These were big promises. By the end of Genesis, the only land in Canaan that Abraham or his descendants owned was the burial cave and field that housed the remains of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah. None of Abraham’s descendants were living in the land of Canaan. They had all gone down to Egypt. It might be easy to understand if Joseph had some doubts about God’s promises.

Yet, there are some important hints that God was at work. God had prophesied to Abraham that his descendants would live a long time in foreign land before receiving the Promised Land (Gen. 15:13–16). God also had clearly been with Joseph throughout his life. As a final act of hope and faith, Joseph left clear instructions regarding his burial.

Joseph’s final message to his family was: “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place” (v. 25). What a wonderful testimony of the hope he had in God’s word!

Go Deeper

What are some key takeaways from your study in Genesis? How has this study helped you better understand God and His promises?

Pray with Us: Father, thank You for the lessons we’ve learned this month from the book of Genesis. Thank You that all Your promises “are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God” (2 Cor. 1:20).

BY Ryan Cook

Dr. Ryan Cook has taught at Moody Bible Institute since 2012. He earned his bachelor of arts in Bible and Theology from Moody and his master of arts in Old Testament from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He has worked in Christian education and served as a pastor in Michigan for seven years. During his time as a professor at Moody, he earned his doctorate from Asbury Theological Seminary. He now lives with his wife, Ashley, and their three children in the Chicagoland area.