Thursday, January 7, 2010

Keeping your "promises" is important to GOD.

Matthew 5:33"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

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Promises today are thrown around as empty words. People make promises to get their way and when its time to be accountable they are no where to be found. How dare they! Wait, what about me? Do I make empty promises?

I thought about the times I was in trouble and I thought it was because of a sin that I had just committed. I remember saying to GOD, "LORD if YOU would just help me through this situation, I 'promise' I will NEVER do 'that' again!" Never is a long time.

GOD sees through my ploy to manipulate HIM and to get my way. HE doesn't want an empty promise made to HIM or "by" HIM to another person. GOD has to keep HIS promises. This is just who HE is. HE cannot lie and once a promise or law is set in motion, HE cannot and will not revoke it.

HE put some promises in place that HE will keep.

  • Accept HIS SON and you will be saved.
  • Reject HIS SON and you will be eternally separated from HIM.
  • Love others and HE will bless you in heaven.

His promises ring true today as they were when the ink wasn't dry when they were first written. GOD doesn't want to lose one single human, but HE will not break HIS promise of the consequences set forth by rejecting HIS SON. That's taking promises seriously.

Now back to me. If HE takes promises this seriously, HE expects me to do the same. HE doesn't want me to try to make HIM a liar. HE wants me to be faithful to other humans when I say I will do something.

When people ask me to pray for them I have to admit I used to say OK, I will. It seems like the busy day would get in the way and I would forget. Broken promise. Now I simply pray for the person right away. I got that from my sister.

GOD takes HIS promises seriously and HE expects us to do the same. The great thing is, HE has forgiven us for the broken promises of the past, and HE rejoices our efforts to keep the promises we will make in the future.

  • Have you broken a promise?
  • Did you call 'that' person?
  • Have you 'honored' your parents the way they should be honored?
  • Are you refusing to hold up your end of the marriage vow because of how you feel?
  • Are you stealing from work (even a paper clip)?

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