Promises, Promises

Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them. (Psalm 119:140 NIV)

As children we all knew the difference between when our parents said, "no" or "maybe" or "ok" or "I promise."  We LOVED hearing "I promise."  Most parents worked hard at folowing through with those promises.  But all of us, no matter how hard our parents may have tried have suffered the disappointent of a broken promise.

There are two sides to every promise.  The one who makes the promise and the one who trusts the promise.  For a promise to work, someone has to trust it.  That's what makes a broken promise so much more devastating than a mere, "maybe."

There are many promises made to us throughout our lives.  The little promises we made as we plan something in the future; there are the promises made to "never do it again" when someone seeks forgiveness then there are the bigger ones made at the marriage altar, or those who make promises when they are sworn into political offices.  If we don't trust the promise  maker, the promise is meaningless.

Some promises are never made out loud, but simply understood.  At the birth of our children, we may never vocally say that we will protect and care for them, but that promise is understood, and is often more devestating when broken than any vocal promise ever made.

Mostly, we know the importance of keeping our promise, but it is also important to trust promises. There is something about that kind of trust that prepares our souls and spirits for the eternal life to come.  It can be so difficult... especially if we've been badly hurt by broken promises.  But we must keep trying.  I believe that most people who make promises truly intend to keep them.  I believe that some of us make promises too rashly only to find we are unable to keep them.  I believe that our mistrust of some promises often is a big contributor to that promise being broken.

One thing is for sure.  We can trust God's promises with every fiber of our being.  Sometimes we may think God has forgotten a promise to us, but we will always find that it is kept in a way we maybe wouldn't have expected.

Be careful about making any promises today.  Think it through.  Also today, fully trust somebody who makes a promise.  Watch how your confidence in them helps them keep the promise.  And today and every day trust God and his promises fully... with all your heart and all your soul and with every fiber of your being.

Father,
Help us to be better at making and keeping promises.  Help us to be better at trusting those who make promises to us.  And let us know deep down to our toes that you always keep your promises and will never disappoint us.  Amen.

Joys:  a quiet evening at home; February is almost over and Spring just around the corner; morning phone calls from Richard