Mensa Otabil - God Watches Over His Word
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Welcome to day number 13 of our 40 days of power. Yesterday, we talked about God being a covenant-keeping God. Today, we’re looking at the fact that God watches over His word.
Jeremiah chapter 1, verses 11 and 12: Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, «Jeremiah, what do you see?» And I said, «I see a branch of an almond tree.» Then the Lord said to me, «You have seen well, for I am ready to perform my word.» The Old King James will say, «For I watch over my word to perform it.» Jeremiah was very young when God called him to prophesy to Judah and to other nations. The word that God gave him to speak was a very weighty word and it was to very powerful people, kings of nations, and he was a young boy with this enormous mandate to go and speak the word of God.
So naturally, Jeremiah was unsure if God would back up the word he spoke. What if he spoke a prophecy and God didn’t support it? To assure him, God told Jeremiah, «I watch over my word to perform it,» or «I’m ready to perform my word.» In other words, God says, «Jeremiah, you just speak the word; I’m responsible for making it come to pass.» The assurance of God to Jeremiah is very clear: God is responsible for making His word come to pass. We are not responsible; our job is just to believe His word. His job is to do what He has said He would do.
That promise still stands today: God assumes responsibility for honoring His word, and the word He speaks to us is His property; it’s not our property; it is His. Before the Lord gave that assurance to Jeremiah, He gave him a vision, and the vision was of an almond tree. The Hebrew word for almond is a word that translates to watch or to stay awake, and so the almond tree in that part of the world is called the awake tree in Palestine. This is the vision that God gave to Jeremiah—to let him know, «I’m awake, I’m alive, I’m here; I’m watching over my word to perform it.»
So He says to Jeremiah, «You have seen well because I watch over my word to perform it.» God is telling us today that He’s awake, He’s alive, and He’s watching His word. If He’s given you a promise, He doesn’t go to sleep on your promises. If He gives you a word, He doesn’t go to sleep on His word. What He says He would do, He watches; He stays awake on it. He’s occupied with it, He’s working it out, bringing all the pieces together, and making all things work together for our good because He is responsible for His word.
So if God has given you a promise, He hasn’t forgotten. It may take a year, it may take two years, it may take three years. In fact, some of the words that Jeremiah spoke took 70 years for those words to become a reality. So, God says, «You may not even be there, Jeremiah, but I will be here, and even if you’re gone, I will watch over my word to perform it.» Be assured that God will watch over the promise He has given to you, and He will perform it this day in Jesus' name.
Why don’t we share a word of prayer together? Say with me, «Heavenly Father, I thank You that You are responsible for Your word. I know You are awake and You are working on my behalf to honor Your promises to me. Thank You, Father. In Jesus' name, Amen.»
Well, my friends, if you believe that, then you can enter the day, have a great day, and be victorious in Christ Jesus. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom—peace and life to you.