The Bible contains thousands of precious promises from God to His children. But the benefits of these promises are not automatic. Only by partnering with God for their fulfillment will we ever experience the full benefits of these promises in our own lives. Jesus said: "From the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize - a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion]." (Matthew 11:12 AMP) As soldiers for Christ, we have an enemy, Satan, who is determined to keep us from fulfilling the call of God on our lives. We have to be even more determined than he is, if we are ever going to lay hold of the victory and destiny that God has in store for us. According to Scripture, it is the promises that enable us to be "partakers of the divine nature," so we must take them as seriously as God does, and do all that we can to lay hold of them in every area of our lives. (2 Peter 1:4)

Hebrews 10:23 (AMP) says: "So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word." This verse offers some marvelous insights into how we can reap the benefits of God's promises for ourselves. First, we must "seize and hold fast" the Word. When Jesus talked about sowing the Word of God in our hearts, He said: "The seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the Word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance." (Luke 8:15 NASB) Often, we find a promise in the Word of God and initially claim it with joy and excitement. But then when persecution, trials, and troubles come along, we let go of that promise and never reap the rewards it represents. Instead, the Lord wants us to "seize the Word and HOLD ON NO MATTER WHAT, sticking with it until there's a harvest." (MSG)

How do we resist "wavering," as Hebrews 10:23 instructs? We feed our faith with the Word of God. Just as our bodies require physical food, our spirits need spiritual food. Jesus said: "People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God." (Matthew 4:4 NLT) As we feed ourselves a daily diet of Scripture - studying it, meditating on it, and applying it - our faith is strengthened, and we are better able to resist doubt and unbelief. As Paul wrote: "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." (Romans 10:17 NKJV) Praising God is another way to fortify our faith. The Bible says that when Abraham received a supernatural promise from God, "no unbelief made him waver or doubtingly question" it. Instead, "he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God." (Romans 4:20 AMP) When the voices of doubt and disbelief begin to assail us, we can drown them out by lifting our hands and voices in praise to the Lord. When we do, we will experience the joy of the Lord bubbling up inside of us, and strengthening our resistance against all doubt.

Hebrews 10:23 reveals that we must "confess" God's Word and promises. A good definition for this kind of "confess" is, "to declare, as in agreement." Paul wrote: "It is written: 'I believed; therefore I have spoken.' With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak..." (2 Corinthians 4:13 NIV) We must voice our belief in God's promises to us. By doing this, we not only bolster our own faith, but we let all of heaven and hell know that we are taking our stand on the Word of God, and we will not be moved or shaken. Voicing the promises in prayer is also an effective means of partnering with the Lord for their fulfillment. Scripture says: "One day Jesus told His disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer, and to show them that they must keep praying until the answer comes." (Luke 18:1 TLB) We don't give up or back down until "the answer comes." The Lord has promises He wants to fulfill in your life today. Are you willing to do your part to see them come to pass?

Prayer: Lord, fill me with a holy determination to "seize" the promises You speak to my heart. Help me to fortify my faith by praising You and feeding on Your Word. Thank You that as I partner with You in this heavenly process, I will reap a rich harvest of blessings that will bring glory to You!