You Promised!

The child said in a demanding voice.  
"You Promised!" 

What parent hasn't heard those words and that tone.  

Have you ever noticed how kids remember certain promises and fail to realize there is a condition attached to the promise?  

A parent says something like this, "We'll stop and have ice cream, if you behave in the store."

Parents know that promise means bad behavior equals no ice cream.  While children lock in on the ice cream and forget the IF that is attached to the promise.

For example in John 8:31(TLB) It says, ...Jesus said to them, “You are truly my disciples if you live as I tell you to..."

We hear...Awesome...we're disciples of Christ, but forget the part about living as He tells us to.  

Maybe kids aren't the only ones who want to ignore the "IF" requirement.  

Promises that contain an “If” require some form of obedience before we can expect the benefits of the promise.  The "if" makes the promise conditional on us. 

Before you yell at God, "You Promised!"  Ask yourself, Have I followed through with the "If?"  

In Genesis 4:7 we see God the Father warning a son about to make a very bad choice.  He throws out some pretty strong "IFs."  

"If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But If you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

We all know how the story of Cain ends.  He doesn’t do what is right and he throws open the door to sin.  Just as the verse says, it desires to have you...BUT YOU MUST RULE OVER IT.

Are we so different than a demanding child?  But... "You Promised!" 

I think not.  

We tend to celebrate God’s promises of blessing and sideline his promises of chastisement, though both point to a faithful God.

His promises are true and so are His...IF's.