Inheriting the Promise
Open Your Bible
Hebrews 6:13-20, Hebrews 7:1-28, Genesis 22:15-18, Romans 8:28-30
BY Bailey T. Hurley
It was two o’clock in the morning, and I was on the floor in my kitchen, unable to catch my breath. My heart was racing, and my husband was away on a trip to visit family. I crawled to my phone and dialed my neighbor’s number. It was a risk as she was a widow in her seventies, likely unable to hear her phone ring in the middle of the night. She answered. “Please come over, something is wrong, and I need help.” She came over and sat with me as we dialed 911.
What felt like heart failure was a panic attack—my first of many in a season of fear, worry, and doubt. I doubted if God could bring peace to an anxious mind. I knew Philippians 4:6-7 backward and forwards: “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Yet, in the middle of an episode, it was hard to grasp the peace of God. Would I ever recover my “normal”?
Hebrews 6 addresses this uncertainty—is God faithful to His promises? When Abraham’s ability to create a family seemed impossible, God promised to multiply his offspring. And to prove that He would follow through He swore an oath. Typically, in the court of law, when we give a testimony, we swear to tell the whole truth “so help me God.” We swear on a higher power, but God is the highest power so He “swore by himself” (Hebrews 6:13). Why?
Because God wanted to show his unchangeable power even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that through two unchangeable things…we…might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. —Hebrews 6:17–18
Not only does God’s oath alone secure His promises, but God, in His love and mercy despite our doubt, sent Jesus Christ. Jesus, “the guarantee of a better covenant” (Hebrews 7:22), is the certainty of our hope. As we patiently wait for healing, answered prayer, a new community, a clean bill of health, salvation for a family member, and all the other things we are afraid to release to God, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19). We now inherit all the promises of God due to Jesus, the perfect priest, who intercedes for us (Romans 8:34).
As I worked through my anxiety, God’s promise of peace delivered me, and my anxiety became manageable. Still, I wrestle with it, and when the doubt creeps in, I like to sing the bridge of the song
“Build My Life” by Pat Berrett:
“I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken.”
59 thoughts on "Inheriting the Promise"
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I too have struggled with anxiety for the past year after losing my best friend of 31 years. Ruth was a sister to me although we were not related by blood. I had get on medication which I stopped taking because I didn’t like how it made me feel. I pray to God to keep my heart and mind clear and with diligence. Because there are times where I am so worried and anxious about stuff that I raise my blood pressure and give myself bad migraines. Thanks to God for keeping me together. He is my anchor. ⚓
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Praying for you and your daughter @jennifer
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@Dorothy — AMEN to Mercy’s words. God will avenge this evil done to your sister. May He keep watch over her and keep her safe from harm. Peace, be still my sister. Jesus is in your corner.
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@ Amanda praying for you during this time! @Jillian Lee I too pray during my singleness and feel both of you guys during this time. It seems the older I get the more it feels like it cannot happen. Even though I don’t really believe it for myself I know God will give you the right man a the right time. I’ll be praying for you guys as I too deeply feel the pain of singleness.
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This is is something I truly needed to read tonight. As somebody who has always struggled with anxiety and currently feels like my anxiety is out of control it’s nice to know I am not alone. I say this often but I truly am in a season of fear. Fear I won’t get married and fear I won’t kids. I truly can’t think of anything else I want and it has truly taken over my life worrying about it. As a 31 year old I feel old and hopeless which seems ridiculous to some. As I currently date a very sweet guy who I’ve prayed for I fear it will end and I set myself up to be let down because that’s all I know. I pray for anybody who is also in a season of anxiety and loneliness. I ask for prayers to that this new relationship will work out and that my anxiety will lessen.
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I will not be shaken. Amen
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Jennifer – Praying for your daughter and you!
Also lifting up the other requests mentioned today: Dorothy, Kathy, Gramsiesue, Lynne, Courtney, Sarah D, Heidi, Amanda, Jillian, and all those suffering from anxiety. -
I too have struggled with anxiety most of my life. I have many things to be anxious about as I sit in the hospital with my seven week old daughter who has rsv; but I’m just feeling peace. Peace that God will get us through this and peace that she will be ok. A part of me is wondering if this is peace or just denial. I am going to believe it is God’s peace.
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