Making Promises to God: Keeping Our Commitments

Summary Making Promises to God: Insights From Our Bible Daily Devotional Podcast On Faithfulness. Introduction As we enter a new year, many of us find ourselves making resolutions and setting goals for the months ahead. It's a time of reflection and a fresh start, a chance to make positive changes in our lives. But as we embark on this journey of self-improvement, it's important to remember that not all promises are created equal. Carefully Making Promises to God In Ecclesiastes 5:4-6, the wise writer warns us about the dangers of making promises to God without careful consideration: "When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved." (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 NLT) These verses remind us of the seriousness of making commitments to God. When we make a promise to him, we are entering into a sacred covenant. God takes our words seriously, and so should we. Don't Make Empty Promises to God It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new year and make lofty promises to God. We might pledge to read the Bible every day, attend church more faithfully, or spend more time in prayer. While these are admirable goals, we must be cautious not to make empty promises that we have no intention of keeping. Instead, let us approach our commitments to God with sincerity and humility. Let us take the time to truly consider what we are promising and whether we have the ability and willingness to follow through. It is better to make fewer promises and fulfil them than to make many promises and break them. Keeping Our Promises Deepens Our Relationship with God Keeping our promises to God is not just about maintaining our integrity; it is also about deepening our relationship with him. When we honour our commitments, we demonstrate our love and reverence for God. We show him that he is worthy of our trust and obedience. So, as we make resolutions and set goals for the year ahead, let us remember to include promises to God. But let us also be mindful of the weight of those promises and the responsibility that comes with them. Let us commit to keeping our promises to God, knowing that he is faithful to help us fulfil them. Reflection question: What promises have you made to God, and how can you ensure that you are faithfully keeping them? Photo by Ryan Franco on Unsplash Battle Drill Daily Devotional Podcast This Week This week on the Battle Drill Daily Devotional Podcast we focus on the New Year and the opportunity it brings to make changes in our lives. How can we ensure they are lasting changes? Each weekday we share hope and encouragement as we read and study the Bible together. Monday 1 January - More devotionals and resources: battledrilldevotional.com. Prefer watching? Video devotionals at video.battledrilldevotional.com.Get devotionals delivered straight to your inbox at devotional.battledrilldevotional.com.See our Battle Ready Sermons at battlereadysermons.com and sign up via email at sermons.battlereadysermons.com.YouTube (Video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRCAfiHehjUmYEPsOE8o4ZxH64ZFetd6nYouTube (Audio): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRCAfiHehjUnG3-4wfG09wAscbrX90HcPTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@battledrilldevotionalFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/battledrilldevotionalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/battledrilldevotional/Twitter: https://x.com/BattleDrillPod