I’ve often been fascinated with the popularity of movies where nothing on screen is realistic or familiar; where the characters have to battle fictional monsters or travel in vehicles that only exist in the film producers’ imagination. Well, movies can be fun to watch, in the first place, and they help us to escape reality. For just a few hours, we can immerse ourselves in something other than what is really happening in our world, and if our stress level is over the top, it probably gives our brains a little needed time-out.

Perhaps your experience of reading is like that, too. Fantasy novels, science fiction, mysteries, and even romance all transport us somewhere else, and we can read about someone else’s struggles for a little while, and forget our own. It’s interesting to note that reading the Bible can have that effect, too, but with a key difference. While we read about David’s escape from Saul, or Daniel facing the lions, or Paul caught in a shipwreck, we are engaged in their drama, and captivated by the fact that they were real people, who served a real God, whose promises to them are true for us today.
So if you’re in need of some stress relief today, look at what God has promised us in his Word. Each promise is a reminder of God’s care, his love, and his awareness of all that concerns us. May you know that he loves and values you and is faithful to all He has promised. Try reading each of these promises aloud, twice through; the first time at a regular pace, and the second time more slowly, pausing between each promise to meditate on its deeply personal message.

God has promised to each person he created and who loves him in return “I will never leave you alone” (Deuteronomy 31:6)
God has promised to each person he created and who loves him in return “There is no where you can go that is hidden from me” (Psalm 139:7-12)
God has promised to each person he created and who loves him in return “I am the One who comforts you” (Isaiah 51:12)
God has promised to each person he created and who loves him in return “When you ask me to forgive your sin, I will do it and I will never remember it again.” (Psalm 103:12)
God has promised to each person he created and who loves him in return “There is no where you can go that is outside of my love for you.” (Romans 8:38-39)
God has promised to each person he created and who loves him in return “I have engraved your name on the palms of my hands and I will never, ever forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15-16)