The opening episode of The Bible mini-series aired Sunday night on the history channel, and I heard on television yesterday that it was the #1 watched TV show that evening. When I heard that statistic my heart leapt, knowing that millions of people watched the stories of God play out on their TV screens.

It’s obvious God had some serious business in mind when he called Roma Downey and her husband, Mark Burnett (producer The Voice, Survivor and Celebrity Apprentice) to create and produce this incredible mini-series.

As I watched the bible stories play out on the screen, I was reminded in living color that God is a serious God. And when He says something – He means it.

When He told the people of Noah’s time to turn from their wicked ways, He meant it.  When they didn’t listen, everyone except Noah and his family perished in the flood. When God’s angels told Lot’s wife not to look back at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, He meant it. When she disobeyed, she turned into a pillar of salt. When God told Moses to communicate His command to Pharaoh that He expected the slaves to be freed, He meant it. When Pharaoh repeatedly ignored the plagues cast upon them, the angel of death took the life of his son, and many other first born sons – while sparing the lives of all those who obeyed His command via Moses to put lamb’s blood over their doors.

God is serious business, and He means what He says.  Yet, I think in today’s broken world where we never really know who to trust or what to believe, we often apply this attitude of distrust to God as well, even if subconsciously. We begin thinking that when God doesn’t seem to be answering our prayers, that He isn’t serious about us.  We begin to doubt if His Word applies to our situations. We wonder if His promises can really be ours.  We struggle to see Him at work, and feel blinded to see evidence of His Presence.  As a result, we may forget that God always means what He says, no matter what, especially when it comes to serious matters of the heart.

I have lots of serious matters of the heart going on right now, particularly when it comes to health problems with my loved ones. But I hold onto the hope of miracles for each situation and I know that serious matters need a serious God. The God of Abraham and Isaac and Noah. The God who always keeps His promises. The God who was so serious about saving us from hell that He sent His son to die on the cross for our sin.

God made thousands of promises in the Bible and every one was a promise that He kept. There are prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled, but there is no doubt that God will keep His promises there too.  He has an infallible track record of perfect promise keeping which certainly proves that when He says something, He means it.

So when He promises in Lamentation 3:23 to be faithful to us, why do we doubt?

When He promises to heal in Psalm 30;2, why do we doubt?

When He promises to forgive us no matter what in 1 John 1:9, why do we doubt?

When He promises in Jeremiah 29:11 that He has a plan a purpose for everything, why do we doubt?

When He promises that we can find peace and rest in Him in Matthew 11:28, why do we continue to feel stressed and fearful?

When He promises that He hears our prayers in Jeremiah 29;12, why do we question whether He is listening?

God’s Word reassures us on practically every page that He is serious about us and what goes on in our lives, and He means what He says.

1 Chronicles 16:30-33 from The Message Bible says:
God is serious business, take him seriously; he’s put the earth in place and it’s not moving. So let Heaven rejoice, let Earth be jubilant, and pass the word among the nations, “God reigns!” Let Ocean, all teeming with life, bellow, let Field and all its creatures shake the rafters; Then the trees in the forest will add their applause to all who are pleased and present before God—he’s on his way to set things right!

What hope I receive by remembering that God is a serious God, and that He takes our serious matters of the heart, very seriously,which helps calm my spirit and soothe my fears.

If you have some serious matters going in your life, could you benefit from remembering that God is a serious God, and that He is serious about keeping His promises to you?  What is one circumstance where you can begin leaning on the promises of God today?