God's word tells us it is better to not make a vow, (promise) than to make a vow and not keep it. This is found in ECC. 5:5.
Most people would agree with that. They would say don't promise something unless you are going to keep it. If you are not going to follow through then don't make the promise at all.
I would totally be surprised if anyone reading this devotional would disagree with those statements. No one wants to feel secure in a promise only to be let down. With that in mind, do we attempt with all that we are to keep our vows? Is the fulfillment of our promises important to us, or do we say them with little to no thought of the effort it will take to keep them? Stop and think of some vows (promises) you have made. Examples could be your wedding vows. What did you vow? Have you truly attempted to fulfill those vows? What about vows to our children, to give our all to see them grow and live to the fullest in Christ. Have you made a similar vow to them? Have you kept it? What about the vow made to Christ at Salvation? Did you promise to live for Him or something similar? Have you made every effort to keep that vow?
Some will say I just don't make vows or promises. That way, I don't break them. If this is you let me give you our text today. Deuteronomy 23:23 NASB95 “You shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God, what you have promised.
This text says you need to be careful to do what you say (what goes out from your lips).
This means every word you speak, you need to be careful to fulfill them. Then it tells us why. Because it is the same as voluntarily vowing to the LORD YHWH God. So let's sum this up. Everything you say, you are basically saying it to the LORD your God, as a promise or a vow.
Honey, I will take out the garbage later. It is the same as saying, LORD, I will take out the garbage later for my wife. So when I don't do it, not only have I let my wife down, but also I lied to the Lord.
To that, I say to the Lord, please forgive me because I am guilty. To that, I must also say to my wife, Stacey, please forgive me because I am guilty.
This is just one of many examples. However, to show the importance of this and to make sure we understand how important it is to be a person of our word. Let me give you a verse slightly before our text.
Deuteronomy 23:21 NASB95 “When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the LORD your God will surely require it of you.
It is sin when we don't keep our vows to the LORD. He will surely require it of us. Lastly, everything we say is just like a vow to God.
So we need to be a person of our word and a person who chooses our words wisely. Because if we don't keep our words we have broken a vow to the LORD and that is sin.
Love Bro. Scott