Make your vows to the Lord your God and perform them. Let all around Him bring gifts to Him who is to be feared, who cuts off the spirits of the princes, who is to be feared by the kings of the earth. (Verses 11-12)
If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay in fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. You shall be careful to do what has passed from your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth. Deuteronomy 23
Amanda and her brother, Shawn, got up on Saturday morning with bubbles in their stomachs. Couldn't wait to get dressed. Were downstairs for the pancakes they could smell in the kitchen where their father stood pouring milk into glasses as they rushed to sit down at the table for breakfast.
"What time did she say she'd be here?" Amanda asked her dad as she took a bite of bacon.
"Nine." Joe, their dad, wanted to sound cheerful about the outing to Disneyland promised to his kids by the woman who'd walked out on all of them two years before. Wanted to believe she'd keep her promise this time.
"Oh, man," said Shawn, "that's two hours from now!"
"You guys still have to clean up your rooms before you leave. That'll fill in most of that time," said Dad with a chuckle.
At nine, the kids were sitting anxiously on the sofa in the living room waiting. Shawn was tapping his feet on the floor and Amanda kept rocking back and forth.
At nine thirty, Amanda began to doubt. Shawn refused to believe she would forget them. Dad made a phone call in his bedroom. No answer.
By eleven, all hope was gone for the day at Disneyland. Another broken promise had taken the joy from another Saturday. Mom's phone was off the hook. Dad took the kids for burgers. But for the rest of the weekend and into the next week the kids carried a dull ache in their stomachs. It sat there confirming they weren't worth all that much to their mother. Not that her word wasn't good...but that they weren't.
"God, get me out of this mess and I'll do whatever you want!" Foxhole stuff. Thing is, God heard it. Probably got us out of the mess. And maybe we forgot we made a promise to the God of all. Like Pharoah each time Moses brought a new plague. Egypt's ruler promised to let the Israelites go if the hail, frogs, gnats or flies would just go away. But when things returned to normal, not so much. Just like with the kids whose mother doesn't do what she promised, God understands what we think He's worth by whether or not we keep our word to Him. Don't promise if you aren't going to deliver. But if you promise, God will hold you to it. He keeps His word. We should keep ours. And when He keeps His promises it tells us we are loved. Valuable. Understood and listened to. Promise keeping is about the heart. Just like telling lies is. And a broken promise is a lie. As Proverbs 26:28 says, Liars hate the people they hurt. And that is exactly what it feels like.
Ever been given flowers the day after someone disappointed you? I have. And I pretty much wanted to throw them in the trash for the obvious reason. I'd much rather not have the flowers and still have my dignity. A diamond might have fared better, but it's still a bribe. It's still replacing character with flare. God isn't interested in our empty promises nor in our flourish toward Him when we screw up. What do the kids waiting every visitation for their mom want? Clearly they want her to do what she says she'll do. Every time she breaks their hearts, they feel hated and completely unimportant. How much more so God?
Here's the amazing thing about our Father. He can fix our hearts. It is the one gift we give to God that makes up for all the times we have disappointed Him in the past. Beyond diamonds or pearls...to our Father our hearts are priceless treasures. Even the darkest of them. If we come to the Father, heart in hand, we will not be rejected. He keeps His promises.
Taking a gift to an important man will get you in to see him. Proverbs 18:16 Jesus, here's my life.
If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay in fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. You shall be careful to do what has passed from your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth. Deuteronomy 23
Amanda and her brother, Shawn, got up on Saturday morning with bubbles in their stomachs. Couldn't wait to get dressed. Were downstairs for the pancakes they could smell in the kitchen where their father stood pouring milk into glasses as they rushed to sit down at the table for breakfast.
"What time did she say she'd be here?" Amanda asked her dad as she took a bite of bacon.
"Nine." Joe, their dad, wanted to sound cheerful about the outing to Disneyland promised to his kids by the woman who'd walked out on all of them two years before. Wanted to believe she'd keep her promise this time.
"Oh, man," said Shawn, "that's two hours from now!"
"You guys still have to clean up your rooms before you leave. That'll fill in most of that time," said Dad with a chuckle.
At nine, the kids were sitting anxiously on the sofa in the living room waiting. Shawn was tapping his feet on the floor and Amanda kept rocking back and forth.
At nine thirty, Amanda began to doubt. Shawn refused to believe she would forget them. Dad made a phone call in his bedroom. No answer.
By eleven, all hope was gone for the day at Disneyland. Another broken promise had taken the joy from another Saturday. Mom's phone was off the hook. Dad took the kids for burgers. But for the rest of the weekend and into the next week the kids carried a dull ache in their stomachs. It sat there confirming they weren't worth all that much to their mother. Not that her word wasn't good...but that they weren't.
"God, get me out of this mess and I'll do whatever you want!" Foxhole stuff. Thing is, God heard it. Probably got us out of the mess. And maybe we forgot we made a promise to the God of all. Like Pharoah each time Moses brought a new plague. Egypt's ruler promised to let the Israelites go if the hail, frogs, gnats or flies would just go away. But when things returned to normal, not so much. Just like with the kids whose mother doesn't do what she promised, God understands what we think He's worth by whether or not we keep our word to Him. Don't promise if you aren't going to deliver. But if you promise, God will hold you to it. He keeps His word. We should keep ours. And when He keeps His promises it tells us we are loved. Valuable. Understood and listened to. Promise keeping is about the heart. Just like telling lies is. And a broken promise is a lie. As Proverbs 26:28 says, Liars hate the people they hurt. And that is exactly what it feels like.
Ever been given flowers the day after someone disappointed you? I have. And I pretty much wanted to throw them in the trash for the obvious reason. I'd much rather not have the flowers and still have my dignity. A diamond might have fared better, but it's still a bribe. It's still replacing character with flare. God isn't interested in our empty promises nor in our flourish toward Him when we screw up. What do the kids waiting every visitation for their mom want? Clearly they want her to do what she says she'll do. Every time she breaks their hearts, they feel hated and completely unimportant. How much more so God?
Here's the amazing thing about our Father. He can fix our hearts. It is the one gift we give to God that makes up for all the times we have disappointed Him in the past. Beyond diamonds or pearls...to our Father our hearts are priceless treasures. Even the darkest of them. If we come to the Father, heart in hand, we will not be rejected. He keeps His promises.
Taking a gift to an important man will get you in to see him. Proverbs 18:16 Jesus, here's my life.
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