proverbs 25.14 (msg) says, people who promise things that they never give are like clouds and wind that bring no rain. could JESUS have been any clearer when HE declared in matthew 5.37 (niv), just let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no” be “no.” keep your word.
i think most of the time when we break our promises, we break them because we made those promises hastily. we didn’t think about our schedule or the schedule of others. we didn’t consider what might or might not happen. we just made a rash commitment, and because we didn’t plan ahead, we end up breaking promise after promise.
the bible talks about that too, in proverbs 3.21,22 (nlt), good planning and insight fill you with life and they bring you honor and respect.
have you ever noticed how valuable promises are to children? kids really want us to keep our promises. as a matter of fact, if you make a commitment to them, they’ll ask you, “promise?” and we’ll say, “yes.” but that’s not enough for them. they’ll follow it up with, “hope to die?” yes. that’s not enough for them, so they’ll follow it up with, “stick a needle in your eye?” i was wondering how cool that would be in a marriage ceremony. can’t you imagine in a corporate board room – an executive, a ceo – and they’re doing a deal, and one says to the other, “promise? hope to die? stick a needle in your eye?”
GOD models this idea for us because HE keeps all of HIS promises. every promise HE’s ever made, HE’s kept. all the way through the bible. start way back in the book of genesis, the first book of the bible. after the flood had destroyed the world, GOD told noah, “I will never again destroy the world with water. and to seal that promise,” GOD said, “I’ll give you a sign. that sign will be a rainbow and every time you see that sign, you’ll remember MY promise.”
keep turning pages in the bible. GOD comes to 99-year-old abraham and 89-year-old sarah, and HE promised that they would have a baby. and from that child would come many nations. and the entire world would be blessed through their lineage. think about it – 99 and 89 and a baby! there wouldn’t be a single tooth in the whole family! they’d be the only couple in target buying pampers and depends at the same time. to seal HIS promise to them, GOD said, “I’ll give you a sign.” it was the sign of circumcision. abraham could have said, “how come noah got a rainbow?”
GOD promised through the process that HE would send a SAVIOR who’d forgive us of our sins and be our friend and comfort and teach and lead us. and HE sent HIS SON, JESUS. and when JESUS came, HE made a promise that GOD would love us and would forgive us and would one day welcome us into heaven if we trusted HIM. HE sealed this promise of love, this new covenant, this new testament, with HIS blood when HE died on a cross. every time CHRISTians take communion, we reflect on that promise and we feel valued and honored by GOD.
folks you and i have great worth and you and i show value and honor to others when we keep our promises to them.
just a thought from the front porch…
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