After the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he promised on oath to you and your ancestors…(see also verse 5)

Uncle Frank was a gentle, kind and generous man. We never knew when he was going to turn up at our home In Wigan, but we children were delighted when he did. He always came bearing wonderful gifts. Uncle Frank was, in fact, my mother’s Uncle, but we called him ‘uncle’ too, and we loved him. He was a gentleman.

But Frank had one obvious character flaw. He made promises he didn’t keep. I could never hold it against him, because I loved him too much, but I remember one big promise he made. He was a guard on ‘British Railways’, and he said that one summer he would pick me up on ‘Wigan Northwestern’ station, and I would ride with him in the guards van at the back of the train, all the way to Carlisle. This was where he and his wife lived. I was going to stay with them for a week’s holiday, and oh the many things we were going to do together!

Well, I’ve known for a long time that this isn’t going to happen: I’m in my 60’s, and Uncle Frank is long dead!!

But one of the many characteristics of God for which I am so grateful is His faithfulness. He keeps all His promises.

As someone said, we stand on solid ground whenever we point to any of God’s promises and say to Him, ‘Do as you have said.’

‘Let God’s promises shine on your problems.’ Corrie Ten Boom.