An angel named Gabriel came with a message for Mary. She would be the mother of the Messiah. This was an amazing statement. Because the Messiah would also be the Son of God. And he would be the Savior of the world. And a King whose kingdom would never end.

Quite the promises! Mary was astonished at the words that fell from the angel's lips. First, she was troubled in her heart. Then came bewilderment. Had this guy never heard of making promises you can't keep?

After all the amazing and confusing things that Gabriel told her, there was one phrase that seemed to turn the tables for Mary.

"For no word from God will ever fail" (Luke 1:37, NIV).

Gabriel's reminder to Mary was that when God says something, you can bank on it. That's a reminder we also need, isn't it? We especially need that reminder when it comes to having a Savior named Jesus.

We hear so many confusing, competing, "promise-the-world" messages in our world today. So we don't always know what we can bank on and what we can't. We sometimes feel much the way Mary did -- astonished, bewildered and confused.

And let's face it. A time or two we've probably even been guilty of this ourselves. We've sent messages that confuse or over-promise.

What Gabriel wanted Mary to know -- and you to know -- is that God cannot over-promise. No word he speaks to you will ever fail.

You can bank on that. Even better yet, you can bank on him.

Our Bible reading for Saturday, March 14, is Numbers 1:1 - 2:9, Luke 1:26-38 and Psalm 33:12-22.

Father, thank you for giving me your words and promises. I love knowing I can rely on them. I get great peace from having somewhere I can go and be perfectly confident in what's being said. Most of all, thank you for Jesus. He is the One in whom I confidently find forgiveness and salvation.

Header image based on "Promise?" by Carmella Fernando, CC By 2.0