By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.  We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4

The future is as bright as the promises of God.  Do you believe it?

William Carey believed in God’s promises and believed they were for everyone on earth, so he set off with his family for India in 1792. But if you knew him in his early years in India, in dire poverty and sickness, dealing with the loss of his 5-year-old son and a wife who became violently mentally ill, you might ask yourself how he could ever think of the future as bright.

“This is indeed the valley of the shadow of death to me,” Carey wrote, “But I rejoice that I am here notwithstanding; and God is here…I have God, and his word is sure”[1]

William Carey believed it when he read this: “By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.  We have received all of this by coming to know him… And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature” (2 Peter 1:3-4). These promises inspired Carey to call out, “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.”[2]

Do you know God’s promises?  For a start, God promises to free you from the consequences of your sin (1 John 1:9, John 8:36), to be with you (Joshua 1:5), to strengthen you (Ephesians 3:14-16), take care of your needs (Philippians 4:19) and to answer prayer (Matthew 7:7). There are over 7,000 promises found in scripture so if you don’t know what they are, dig in today.  God promises are sure and the future is bright.

[1] Christian History. (2008, August 8). William Carey. Christian History | Learn the History of Christianity & the Church. Retrieved May 30, 2022, from https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/missionaries/william-carey.html

[2] Ibid.