Time for Faithful Friday encouragement this week.
What is one promise from God's Word that you can hold onto this week?
Have you ever made a promise then broke it? I think we all have at some point whether it’s taking a child to get the promised ice cream or park day, or getting something done around the house that you said you would do six weeks ago. We get tired and have long days, but we used that famous phrase, “I promise…”
If we continue to break our trust in the small
matters of life, how will a person know you can be trusted in bigger situations that they face? Jesus warns about the words of our mouth and not to be rash about what we say.
Matthew 5:33-37
Again you have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’* 34 but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; 35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.
Leviticus 5:4-6
4 “ ‘Or if anyone swears rashly with his lips to do evil or to do good—whatever it is that a man might utter rashly with an oath, and it is hidden from him—when he knows of it, then he will be guilty of one of these. 5 It shall be, when he is guilty of one of these, he shall confess that in which he has sinned;
Judges 11:30-40
Jephthah vowed a vow to Yahweh, and said, “If you will indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand, 31 then it shall be, that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, it shall be Yahweh’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.”
32 So Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them; and Yahweh delivered them into his hand. 33 He struck them from Aroer until you come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and to Abelcheramim, with a very great slaughter. So the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
34 Jephthah came to Mizpah to his house; and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are one of those who trouble me; for I have opened my mouth to Yahweh, and I can’t go back.”
36 She said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to Yahweh; do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, because Yahweh has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even on the children of Ammon.” 37 Then she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me. Leave me alone two months, that I may depart and go down on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.”
38 He said, “Go.” He sent her away for two months; and she departed, she and her companions, and mourned her virginity on the mountains. 39 At the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed. She was a virgin. It became a custom in Israel 40 that the daughters of Israel went yearly to celebrate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
We must keep our word and obey the Lord , if we want to be trusted with more, if the Lord sees fit to do so.
Matthew 25:14-30
For it is like a man going into another country, who called his own servants and entrusted his goods to them. 15 To one he gave five talents,‡to another two, to another one, to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 In the same way, he also who got the two gained another two. 18 But he who received the one talent went away and dug in the earth and hid his lord’s money.
19 “Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and settled accounts with them. 20 He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents in addition to them.’
21 “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
22 “He also who got the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents in addition to them.’
23 “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
24 “He also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you didn’t sow, and gathering where you didn’t scatter. 25 I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’
26 “But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter. 27 You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest. 28 Take away therefore the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away. 30 Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
We don’t always deserve something right? Think about God’s promise to Abraham , he was Abram at the time of the promise. He was told he would become a great nation , if he went to the land God would show him at age seventy-five. By age eighty-six he had a child with the maidservant Hagar, after God had already promised a child between him and Sarah. Eleven years had passed, but God didn’t set a timetable on His Promise. That act of disobedience has had generations fighting over Israel . At ninety-nine years old , Issac the child of promise between Sarah and Abraham was born. Later, Hagar and Ishmael were sent away for there to be no strife and Issac could receive what God promised.
God didn’t fulfill the promise just because Abraham was good and obedient. He sinned and disobeyed , as we often do. The promise was fulfilled because God keeps His promises. Despite us if needed, for His Namesake. God’s Name and reputation on the line.
Yes, God loves us, and is faithful to us even when we don’t deserve it. But at some point we’ve got to stop thinking selfishly, or being self-centered. The reason God may be sparing the generations in His Mercy and Grace may not be just because of obedience or that God is good, even though we know He is. It may be because of a promise He made years ago, or recently to someone, that He waits on His timetable to be fulfilled. He cares about His Name and how He’s represented to others among the nations. Are we sharing the Truth of who God is and how He acts, or are we giving people false ideas about God because that’s what they want to hear. Or is that because that’s what we would do if we were God?
Let’s be careful with our words and remember God keeps His promises of both Love and Justice. Sometimes in spite of us, other times He promises and the consequences hinge on whether we are obedient in the if you… then I will.. or if you do not … then I will…. Love and Justice go together. If you sin, turn away and ask forgiveness. Thank God for His Mercy and Grace, but may we never abuse it, by living the way we want in rebellious ways, just because we think God will forgive us in the last moments of our lives. If He is dealing with you now, that door may not remain open until your last breath. If you don’t want God’s rule now over your life, you definitely won’t enjoy Heaven and the New Earth to come under His same unchanging reign. Repent and turn away while you have now. Tomorrow, not even your next breath is promised. It’s a gambling chance with your soul. Every breath is a mercy, an opportunity to live for Him. Let’s not take Jesus’ sacrifice for us to have access to God the Father lightly.
Lamentations 3:22-24
It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed,
because his mercies don’t fail.
23 They are new every morning.
Great is your faithfulness.
24 “Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul.
“Therefore I will hope in him.”
May we not give up too early on His promises to us. He is faithful to His Word .
*All Scriptures are from the World English Bible