Sometimes we buy a product based on the marketing hype only to be disappointed. The product may be good, but it isn’t great or as great as the marketing bullhorn declared. We think we were promised one thing and got something else. One such marketing gimmick is the “lifetime” warranty. The fine print often tells a different story. If a marketer offers an “unconditional lifetime warranty” you have to wonder what a “lifetime warranty” is. The fine print often sometimes brings clarity. For example, if I’m forced to pay to return the product, and the shipping is a large portion of the original cost, then the warranty is suspect. Let’s face it, sometimes we don’t even remember when we bought an item and may not be able to identify the manufacturer. We might not even be able to find the warranty information.
I often bought Craftsman® tools because they are quality tools. On some very rare occasions I have returned a tool and got a replacement. This was rare. But I had confidence that their warranty meant what it said. But sometimes a warranty fails because the business making the warranty fails. That means the warranty is for the life of the business, not for the original buyer.
Thankfully, God doesn’t make promises he can’t or won’t keep. He is not bound by time, by strength, by wisdom or knowledge, by availability of by life. He is timeless, omnipotent, omniscient and eternal.
In Acts 3, Peter and John were going to the temple and came upon a man lame from birth. Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up and “and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.” Acts 3:7-10 (ESV)
The story doesn’t end there. Peter has a wonderful opportunity to present Jesus, the one who made it possible for the man to have his legs restored. He talks about repentance and faith in this risen Christ. He reminds them of the promise God made to Abraham many years ago. The promise was “And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Think about the scope of that statement. Think about the audacity of that promise. How is this even possible? It is possible because of the knowledge and wisdom of God, the power of God and the unending life of God.
God had a purpose in the death and resurrection of Jesus our Savior. It was to rescue us from something far worse than a lifetime of begging because we were unable to walk or work. It was to rescue us from our own wickedness that came with the guarantee of death. Acts 3 closes with this amazing statement: “God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.” 3:26
Don’t miss out on this promise.
Know Your Flocks & Herds 