Expired

READ: JOSHUA 23:14; 1 PETER 1:3-9; 2 PETER 1:2-4; 3:9

Imagine this. You’ve just arrived at the best theme park in the state. You’re ecstatic to finally have enough money to be here—and you wouldn’t even be going if you hadn’t found a coupon for half-price tickets. But when the woman at the ticket booth looks at your coupon, she shakes her head. “I’m sorry,” she says, “but this coupon has expired. I have to charge you the full amount.” But you can’t pay the full amount…so you can’t get into the park.

Can you feel the pain of this disappointment, even though it’s imaginary? This story can help us understand something really important about the gospel, or good news.

God has made many promises to us, and they will never expire. He promises to forgive everyone who puts their trust in Jesus and to rescue us from sin and death. He promises to hear us whenever we pray, to give us joy, and to supply all our needs. Jesus promises to return one day to right every wrong and make all things new, and to resurrect our bodies so we can live with Him forever in restored creation. We can find these and more of His promises in His Word—the Bible. And all His promises will last forever!

In short, God’s promises are way better than any coupon offer. His promises will never expire—He keeps every single one. So, once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can rest knowing that God will never leave us, and we get to look forward to eternal life with Him. Now that’s good news! • A. W. Smith

• Do you have a favorite promise from God? What is it?

If you want to learn more about Jesus’s promises, check out our “Know Jesus” page.

And this is what he promised us—eternal life. 1 John 2:25 (NIV)