24 September 2004 marked the beginning of a journey that would eventually lead me through the Bible in search of the promises of God.
My life in Christ began on 24 September 2004.
That evening, I had just returned from a work function, and I was drunk. I went to greet my brother, Les Liebenberg, who had travelled from Cape Town for our sister’s 60th birthday.
To understand the significance of that moment, some context is necessary. My brother had spent much of his life away on military missions. His world was shaped by discipline, secrecy, and long periods of absence. We were not close in the way many brothers are.
Then I discovered something completely unexpected.
My brother had become a pastor.
That revelation challenged everything I thought I knew about him.
As I prepared to leave, Les walked me to my car and asked me a simple, direct question:
“Do you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour?”
There was no long conversation. There was no debate, emotional appeal, or carefully prepared message.
Still intoxicated, I simply answered:
“Yes.”
Right there beside my car, my brother led me in prayer as I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.
That night became the beginning of a journey I could never have fully anticipated.
The instruction to write
Years later, I began to sense a clear instruction: write this book.
My Personal Journey to Find the Promises of God in the Bible was not born out of theological training, academic study, or any claim to spiritual authority.
It grew from a deeply personal pursuit—a disciplined and sometimes uncomfortable search to answer one central question:
Are the promises of God in the Bible real, accessible, and applicable to my life today? Can I truly stand on God’s Word for my life?
Like many people, I had read Scripture over the years, often without complete clarity. I encountered verses about peace, provision, healing, wisdom, protection, and purpose.
Yet I kept returning to the same uncertainty:
Were these promises truly available to me, or were they distant words intended for another time, another group of people, or perhaps for someone with a level of faith I had not yet reached?
That question became the foundation of my journey.
From casual reading to intentional study
The path was not straightforward.
There were seasons of doubt, moments of clarity, and times when I had to reconsider what I believed. Gradually, I moved from casual Bible reading to deliberate and intentional study.
I stopped reading Scripture passively and began working through it with purpose.
I started identifying, recording, organising, and examining what the Bible says about the promises of God. More importantly, I began asking who those promises were given to and how they should be understood.
This book is the result of that process.
It is not a theological thesis, nor does it attempt to resolve every doctrinal disagreement. Instead, it is a structured and honest record of what I discovered—promises that speak into real human experiences such as:
- Anxiety and uncertainty
- Lack and the need for provision
- Brokenness and the need for healing
- Confusion and the need for wisdom
- Fear and the need for peace
- The search for purpose and direction
Context matters
This journey also forced me to confront an important truth:
Interpreting Scripture carries responsibility.
Not every verse can simply be removed from its setting and claimed at face value. Context matters. The original audience matters. Covenant matters. The surrounding passage matters.
Ignoring these things can lead to error rather than faith.
Searching for the promises of God is therefore not about collecting comforting words while overlooking their meaning. It requires careful reading, prayer, humility, and a willingness to allow Scripture to challenge our assumptions.
A personal record and an invitation
This book serves two purposes.
First, it is a personal record of how the Word of God moved from being information on a page to something that actively shaped my thoughts, decisions, expectations, and relationship with God.
Second, it is an invitation.
It is not an invitation to agree with every conclusion I have reached. It is an invitation to undertake the journey for yourself.
Question what you believe.
Search the Scriptures carefully.
Examine verses in their proper context.
Test what is often repeated or accepted without investigation.
This is not about blind acceptance. It is about deliberate engagement with the Word of God.
A journey that cannot be outsourced
My prayer is that this book will lead readers back to the Bible with renewed intention—to seek, examine, verify, and discover what God has spoken.
No one else can undertake that journey on your behalf.
It cannot be outsourced.
It must be walked personally.
And if there is one conclusion I have reached, it is this:
The promises of God are not found casually. They are discovered by those who are willing to seek.