- Joined
- Feb 9, 2004
- Messages
- 17,081
Today's Devotional - February 14
Promise Keeping
When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it . . . Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.
Ecclesiastes 5:4-5
[TABLE="class: box1"]
[TR]
[TD]Recommended ReadingJames 5:12[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
The third of the Ten Commandments -- "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain" (Exodus 20:7) -- has been wrongly interpreted to mean using God's name in a curse or profane statement (although that is certainly to be avoided). Originally, it referred to making a vow or promise with God as your witness that you would keep your word. If you failed to keep your promise, you were guilty of using His name in vain. You had involved God in your deceit or unfaithfulness, and God is not to be "used" by His people for their convenience in such a way.
King Solomon wrote an extended paragraph about the danger of making vows and promises to God and, by extension, to others with God as our witness (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7). The apostle James, following his half-brother, Jesus of Nazareth, went further: Don't make vows at all. Just let your "Yes" mean yes and your "No" mean no (Matthew 5:37; James 5:12). Instead of making a promise in God's name, we should let our character serve as a guaranty for our word.
If you say "Yes" or "No" today, follow through appropriately. Better not to promise than to promise and not pay.
We must never promise ourselves any more than God has promised us.
Matthew Henry
Read-thru-the-Bible
Numbers 16-18
