Day 65.
“If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely 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 your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth. (Deuteronomy 23:21-23 ESV)
The idea of sticking to your word is something anyone would love to see from others, but rarely something anyone expects. Why is that? I don’t think it is because people are insincere at the time they make a vow. But we have let the idea that changing circumstances nullify former vows. This is not a valid argument when we look at Scripture. It is a product of a relativistic culture. Jesus puts it simply, “let your yes be yes and your no be no.” In his view, it isn’t just vows that we formerly make, but anything we say. We should be true to our word. So, how about you? Have you committed to something and backed out because your circumstances changed, or because it was no longer convenient, or because it brought an emotional drain on you? If so, confess and repent!
Lord, forgive me for my flippant view of my word. Thank you that your word is trustworthy and not like mine! Help me to say what I mean and stick to it.