Promises Made. Promises Kept.

I promise you….if elected, I’ll…..
I promise you….for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness or in health, till death parts us…..
I promise you….I’ll never tell your secret….
I promise you….I'll be at your game (recital, performance).…
I promise you….I’ll be there right on time….
You know – all those promises someone made, or we made, maybe kept – maybe didn’t and regret it? Maybe we couldn’t help it when we broke the promise, but still, we were a promise-breaker. Oh, that we were able to ALWAYS be promise keepers. People of integrity, honor, commitment. People you can count on -- who are good for the promise they made.

I sincerely want to be a promise keeper, but who hasn’t, in weakness, fallen short on keeping a promise? Which brings me to the ONE infallible One Who we CAN count on. If He said it, we can believe it – it will come to pass. Maybe not in our timing – but always His.

Most of us who are Christ's followers have a favorite scripture promise we’ve memorized. It is the one we cling to during tough times and very often there are more than one. I am partial to Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” I also remind myself, on a regular basis, of this promise from Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” God kept those promises to me.

Some people take those promises and think if we click our heels three times, squeeze our eyes shut, like a great Almighty “treat” dispenser, all they’ve requested will be delivered as fast as Amazon Prime. God’s promises are not true because we believe in them. They don’t come to pass because our faith is great. God’s promises come to pass simply because God said them.

Our God is faithful. Everything He promised will surely come to pass. Sometimes it's not in a minute, month or year. We may have to wait for it. God promised the Israelites the promised land, but not all of them saw it. Some perished in the desert due to plagues, some due to earthquake, etc. Yet God was faithful in His word. He fulfilled what He said He would. There was a delay because the people disobeyed and sinned against Him and doubted Him despite seeing His mighty acts and power. If God says it, we can count on it. “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).

I wrote this blog because I’m thinking about the many who don’t believe in God because they've only known promise breakers. We live in a "fatherless" generation. So many don't know our Father God of promises and love and faithfulness. They live hopeless -- void of truth. I’m sorry for them. I pray for laborers into their pathways -- that their eyes will be opened to the love and mercy of our great God. He never fails in His promises. Maybe you've only known promise-breakers. I pray that you will come to know God Who is our great promise-keeper. And, for those of us who do know Him, may our purpose-driven lives be full of assurance that He will never fail us. He is our promise-keeper. Delays are meant for our good. The promise may seem slow in getting here, but I assure you – it will come to pass.

"Yet he (Abraham) did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised." Romans 4:20-21

I Pinky Promise

I love having those intimate, one-on-one times with my grands. Many times they are unfiltered and they say what they think……and they say what they shouldn’t think! I’ll see their eyes pleading with me “Nana, please don’t tell anyone I told you that!” And I reply with action “I won’t. Pinky promise!”

The pinky promise (or pinky swear) is a custom often done by kids who interlink their pinkies as they exchange a promise. But it originated with Japanese mobsters as the highest form of all promises when a wronged party may sever the pinky of the promise breaker. YIKES! I remember saying “I cross my heart, hope to die, stick a thousand needles in my eyes….if I break my promise.” Other’s say “My lips are sealed!” Oh, the latter is so less harmful to our well-being. I think that’s the road I’ll travel!

But what if we didn’t even need any of those clichés or quotes? What if our word was so good that a contract wasn’t needed or any other agreement because our word could be taken to the bank? God’s Word has this to say about a promise or a pledge:
~ Numbers 30:2 “If a man vows a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.”
~ Matthew 5:37 “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”

Simply put, those scriptures mean our word is sacred. I know this shows my age – back in the good old days, but when I was growing up, a promise and a hand-shake were all you needed. Contracts weren't really necessary and it was an insult to insist on one. Why? Because a man’s word was his bond. No one was willing to risk their reputation by breaking their word. But as a real estate broker for many years now, if there’s anything I know – contracts and agreements are essential to bind parties together – signed, sealed and delivered. Because not all men or women treat their “word” as sacred.

But in our desire to be a devoted follower of Christ, who set the example of honesty and truth, we want to emulate Him and be known as one who is as good as our word! Role models who show what character, integrity, and honor is -- is what our generation needs today. You see, what we tell others through our words is what they’ll come to believe about us. If we say we’re going to do something, then we’d best follow through as people will judge us not only on what we say, but on what we do. If we accomplish what we say we’re going to do, then our words hold power in the future… we gain the trust of others.

Words, in essence. become a perfect reflection of our character in a positive light -- our actions will even speak louder than our words. People will value what we say and do. Somebody once said “You are your word” and it is so true.

I’m purposing to be a Promise Keeper – pinky promise, cross-my-heart, lips are sealed – my word is good. How about you?