GOD, I PROMISE

Read Ecclesiastes 5

How many times have you said to God, “If you will just get me out of this jam I am in I will. . . .?" Yep, we have all done it. We get ourselves in a mess and then beg God for deliverance. And as soon as we get through it, we forget about our vow to God.

Solomon reminds us here in this verse to keep our vow. We need to “pay up” to God when He sees us through that storm of life. We need to be true to our word to God. We are even called fools in this verse if we don’t. That’s a little harsh, huh? Or is it?

TEACHING MOMENT

You have probably heard your child make promises to get out of trouble. “Mom, if you will let me go to the dance, I promise to clean my room every day.” “Dad, if you let me borrow the car, I will wash it every week.” Right! Like that’s going to happen. But they vow it, whether they are sincere or not.

The problem is we let them slide when they don’t keep the vow, or we don’t correct them in the vow when they are making it. Keeping our word to others is important. They need to learn to do that. If they can’t keep their word to others (whom they can see), they most certainly won’t keep a vow to God (whom they can’t see).

What was the last vow you broke? Was it to a person or God? Either way, breaking that vow was wrong and you need to make it right. Perhaps you are thinking, but Carl, that is humiliating. Exactly. Remember what Solomon called us for not keeping our vows? Fools.

Father God, keeper of all vows, show me how to keep my word. Show me what vows to make and not to make. Keep my tongue from making foolish promises You know I can’t keep.