I Promise
My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. (Psalm 89:34)
Have you ever considered how the other person feels when you break a promise to them? Doesn’t it reflect on their opinion of you?
There are people who believe that some promises are so small that it is not a big deal. Not really that important to be of concern. Right? After all, just a few minutes late can’t make much of a difference, can it? But, think about this….. If you had said you would arrive at nine o’clock and didn’t get there until five minutes after nine, did you break a promise, or not? The fact is simply that you did. That may seem harsh to you but, is it true or not? It’s true.
That five minutes could become an issue, even becoming something that others will judge you by.
But, let’s put the shoe on the other foot. How would you feel if you suffered from another person’s tardiness? How would you feel if it were a constant, or normal thing? Isn’t that part of how you would judge their character?
So how do you feel when God doesn’t keep His promises? Or at least seems to have not done so?
Think back and try and recall a time when that happened, and look really closely at the circumstances. Be honest enough to admit whose agenda you are basing your statement upon. Was it yours? If God didn’t come through in the time that you had laid down for that completion, whose fault would it be? Would you blame Him? Would you be disappointed in Him? What would you expect to happen if you ever asked Him for something that didn’t manifest or didn’t manifest in the time that you wanted it, and you questioned Him why?
We hold God to a very high level of perfection, in keeping His word, especially when we have it in writing! We expect Him to keep His word, regardless. We do not give Him any leeway whatsoever. After all, He told us (in our opening Scripture above) that He wouldn’t break His covenant, His word – nor alter any words that have come from Him, and we hold Him to that promise. Don’t we?
If this is the standard that we hold God to, shouldn’t we as Christians be holding ourselves to the same standard as we hold Him? If it’s okay for us to make a promise, no matter how small, no matter how seemingly insignificant that promise might be, and not keep it, are we not being hypocrites, or even using the stronger word of being a liar? Often, this happens with all good intentions, and then, something comes along and stops us or slows us down from achieving, and fulfilling that promise. No malice or ill intent might have been given in that promise. But, if the promise is not fulfilled, then it is a broken one. It’s not cracked or chipped, it’s broken, period!
Throughout the book of James, chapter 1, we are told about the power of the Word and the importance of following it through. Fulfilling the promise you make, of hearing and then “doing”, or fulfilling your word. Standing by what comes out of your mouth. Or, in other words, not breaking, nor altering the thing that is gone out of my lips.
You already know and, assuming you believe in the word of God, this Scripture is virtually a commandment. Once you understand the power of your spoken word. You will also understand the need to be very careful in what, when, and how you use your words. James has given us a very significant teaching about the power of the tongue. So when we make a promise, we should be so aware of it and all that we must do to fulfil it. Before you make any promises, consider what you’re going to hold yourself to. If there’s any doubt, don’t make that promise in the first place. Those who keep their promises are always deemed reliable and that should be the desire of all of our hearts.
God fulfils (grants) all of our requests provided they are scripturally correct and line up with His will for us or any person it affects. For instance, He will always make sure we have food to eat and drink, and clothing available to us. He even promises this to us.
And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? (Luke 12:22-24)
The words in red make this stand out as a promise, and a promise is quoted from Vines Concise Dictionary of the Bible* as a binding agreement between two parties, whether individuals or nations.
Note this: It is a BINDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN TWO PARTIES
Bindings are always deemed to be permanent. They are between (a minimum of) two parties.
So, considering the Scripture above the two parties are between The Lord God Almighty and whom? Obviously, the answer is the one accepting the promise. You or I, or whosoever.
Now, return to our opening Scripture and reconsider it……
My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. (Psalm 89:34)
Another promise! The Lord is saying that He will never break any promise that He issues. Will you?
Here’s another:
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. (Proverbs 30:5)
Although this is pretty self-explanatory, He is promising that His words (no matter what they might be) are without doubt. You can rely on them. You can rely on Him both giving a pure promise or information and not, never breaking or altering it/them.
The question that we must therefore ask is that when a promise is given or a covenant given, but does not complete; is not fulfilled where does the fault lay?
Given the Scriptures above it is not God, so who does that leave? Us.
An unfulfilled promise has most likely not come about because it has not been received, or believed by the intended recipient. If God has promised it to you, it is fulfilled. But, as we now know the answer is given immediately but the manifestation can depend on other factors. For instance, If the promise is dependent upon input from ourselves, and we do not comply with that, then how can that covenant be fulfilled? Again, as an example, if someone has promised a thousand dollars for you, and extends their hand to you with it in it, but you do not reach out and take it, that promise has not been fulfilled. But where does the fault lie? With you, obviously.
Where a covenant (or promise) is made, it is usually between at least two parties (see above*) and each is responsible for the fulfillment of that covenant or promise.
If you desire your reputation to precede you, help make it a solid one by keeping your covenant! Make your word your bond!
