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An election promise is a promise a politician makes to the public to get elected. Some make promises they sincerely intend to keep but unexpected circumstances prevent them. Others make promises they have no intention of keeping; they exaggerate simply to get elected. How different are the promises God makes. When He speaks He has full knowledge of the past, the present, and the future; and He has the wisdom and power to make them all come true. Long ago, He promised that continued disobedience by the ancient nation of Israel would bring exile. They disobeyed; they went into exile for 70 years—just as God predicted. Yet God told them in advance that the exile would end. It would end because of His power to make it come true. The prophet Isaiah, in chapter 40, put that prediction this way: “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the LORD has punished her twice over for all her sins” (vv. 1–2). To assure the people of its certain fulfillment, Isaiah added, “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever” (v. 8). God not only kept His promise that they would return from exile, He kept another promise to send His Son to pay the world’s sin debt. Today, He keeps the promise to save all those who accept His Son. God, the promise maker and promise keeper, is the best hope earth will ever know.
