so take heart, men, for i have faith in God that it will be exactly as i have been told. but we must run aground on some island.” [acts 27:25-26]
as soon as i read this verse, i remembered a chorus i sang in church children’s choir as a child:
“God said it, and i believe it, and that settles it for me”.
(i tried to find the source for this, and wow, the 1970s.)
but this is exactly what paul is saying. he is at peace because God’s promises are sure, firm, and will definitely come to pass.
solomon, blessing the Lord says:
“blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by moses his servant. [2 kings 8:56]
the psalmist writes:
for the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness. [psalm 33:4]
in proverbs:
every word of God proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. [proverbs 30:5]
the angel of the Lord promises the impossible to mary-
and mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since i am a virgin?”
and the angel answered her, “the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. and behold, your relative elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. for nothing will be impossible with God.” [luke 1:34-37]
Jesus tells the disciples:
heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. [matthew 24:35]
and in hebrews we read:
now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. for by it the people of old received their commendation. by faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible [hebrews 11:1-3]
take some time to read hebrews 11 today. it is clear that paul who says ”i have faith in God” is merely falling into a long line of those before him commended by faith. we have the same Holy Spirit that these had, we have the same faith:
there is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. [ephesians 4:4-6]
let us sit in the word, in his presence, knowing that his promises are true, that as believers we have the unity to say: “God said it, and i believe it, and that settles it for me!”
~ ce