Promises Made but Promises Kept

By Jane Bjork

Is trusting that we have a “Promise-Keeping God” difficult? It can be, and there are a few answers I can think of as to possibly why. The first is that we often evaluate our God according to our human understanding and experiences.

For example, my experience is that we struggle to keep promises. I have actually been guilty of this recently. My neighbor shared a health issue he's having and asked me not to share it with anyone. I told him I wouldn't, but the more I thought about his health issue, the more it sounded like what my family member was experiencing, so I had to tell her. I justified telling her out of concern and wanting to help.

Oh, the failure! It makes me realize I’m not always a good promise keeper myself. Which I then project onto our God. Even though we are told that God is beyond us, Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” It’s key to remember that God is not like we are. We are continually striving to be made more in His likeness, not the other way around. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

The second reason I think it can be difficult to trust that we have a “Promise-Keeping God” is that we can feel let down in life. When our desires or needs aren’t being met as we want, we can equate that with God not keeping His promises to us. However, that is our human fleshly mind thinking again. 

Me praying for my child to be safe and to get into the college they want is good and right; however, if those things don’t happen for her, that does not mean God isn’t a Promise-Keeping God. God has control of things far beyond what I know for my child. His Word says in 1John 5:14 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what he asked of him.” It’s a twist on human thinking. We need to first know that He is a Promise-Keeping God and then we know we are receiving what is in His Will. 

Knowing first that He is a Promise-Keeping God and then trusting what happens is a game changer for life. It reminds me of a motto I strive to live by lately… “Be so confident in God’s plan that you don’t even get upset anymore when things don’t go your way.”—Author unknown. The Will of the Father is always going to be better than mine. As I’ve understood that truth, I have found a joy and peace in living that is truly dependent on HIM (not me or others.) Oh, that brings freedom! Have you understood that truth yet?

You may have heard of the song “Honest” by Leanna Crawford. She is singing about this exact issue of trusting God with His Promises. I encourage you to go listen to it. The lyrics say..

You bring to life what is dead, there is nothing You can’t do. I believe You did it then, so won’t You do it now? Can I be honest? I just want to know that You still got this, when all I’m holding on to is Your promise. God, You promised that You’d never leave me….

Many of us can relate to her song, because to be honest, it can be hard to trust God’s promises despite all we’ve read about in the Bible and all the prophecies that have come to pass.

It’s very important to remember that no amount of broken promises you’ve experienced or prayers not answered as you’ve desired in your life can replace the truth that God keeps His promises. “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19).

We need to get our human thinking out of the way, then we are able to grasp the irrevocable Promise-Keeping God that we have! Amen.

Jane Bjork

Jane Bjork is the Director of Marketing for Heroic Pictures and Patterns of Evidence. An experienced film marketing executive, Bjork has led promotional efforts for multiple faith-based documentaries and theatrical releases, including the June 2025 release, The American Miracle: Our Nation is No Accident. She believes God-affirming media is critical to a better culture and stronger families. She is the mother of four adult children and a prayer warrior at heart.