In Deuteronomy 19, the Israelites are told that God will give them all that was promised provided that they “are careful to keep all this commandment, which I command you today, by loving the Lord your God and by walking ever in his ways.”

We know the end of the story; they didn’t love God and walk in His ways. They didn’t receive all the land that they were promised, at least not yet.

We humans have never been able to carefully walk in all His ways. We’ve always sinned. We’ve always let Self get in the way.

That’s why we needed a savior. That’s why we needed the cross. That’s why we need the life of Christ to live in us. We can’t live without Him.

But now we have a different word from God.

1 Corinthians 1:20 tells us that in Christ all of God’s promises are “yes” and “amen.”

We don’t have to live in fear that God won’t keep His word, that He won’t provide, that He won’t protect, that He won’t guide, that He won’t bring us safely home to Him because we haven’t perfectly walked in God’s ways.

Jesus perfectly walked in God’s ways and fulfilled all the law.

We take on that perfect life by faith, the life we live in the flesh, we live by faith in the Son of God.

We live without fear of punishment for our imperfections because we believe and receive God’s perfect love in our hearts.

And while we will never reach God-like perfection, we, by the power to overcome sin that is in us by the Spirit, choose to walk in God’s ways and desire to walk in His ways because we really do love God and it pleases us to honor and obey Him.

Was Paul always protected? Did God save him out of all his trials and tribulations?

Yes! Paul was shipwrecked more than once and even stoned to death. But he didn’t die. He had the privilege of suffering for God and God saved him. His life was preserved.

Paul was imprisoned. But God provided for him and he didn’t lack. He flourished in jail, winning favor, winning souls, writing much of the New Testament.

God’s promises are “Yes”. Jesus’ perfect life is in us, so we can say “Amen” to God’s promises and trust He will come through in His perfect way in His perfect timing.