Receiving the promises of God isn't enough. There's more you need to do.

Imagine I gave you a gift and you received it with joy. As you held the gift in your hand, you marveled at how someone who doesn't even know you would give you such a wonderful gift. Then, you set it on a table in your living room.

In the coming days, you smile every time you walk past the gift. It brings great joy to your heart.

Eventually, it becomes something familiar sitting on your table. It no longer grabs your attention because it just sits there, in the same place, day after day.

This is where many believers are with the promises of God.

Receiving what God has given is not enough. There are two more steps.

First, you must hold tight to what God gives because you have an enemy who is determined to steal it from you.

You can't treat it casually, leaving it out on the table somewhere. You must hold it close by bringing it back to your remembrance over and over again.

Second, you must partake. You must experience it as your own.

Marveling at the promises of God is a wonderful thing. But God didn't give us these promises for us to stall out in a place of astonishment. He gave them to make us whole, to make us like Him.

So, don't stop at receiving the gift. Take it as your own. Hold tightly to what God has given and partake. Let it transform you. Let it heal you.