Hebrews 6:13-15 tells us about a promise God made to Abraham: “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” Originally he had to wait 25 years before his son Isaac was born. After Isaac was in his care, he was told to sacrifice him as a burnt offering. As a parent, I can’t … Continue reading Even if we can’t see it immediately
promises
Un-broken promises
Hebrews 6:18 says: “it is impossible for God to lie…” We sometimes say that “all things are possible with God.” As we should. After all, Jesus said it in Matthew 19:26! When we say that we need to remember the kinds of things we’re talking about: good things which are consistent with his character. They … Continue reading Un-broken promises
When promises are stabilizing handrails
The writer of Psalm 116 had been through trauma. He cried out to God for help and received it. To show his appreciation he said: “I will fulfill my vows to the LORD…” (verse 14). It’s telling that fulfilling his vows is a part of how he shows his gratitude. Since God had been true … Continue reading When promises are stabilizing handrails
Trust in the jungle of unpredictability
Life can be chaotic. And volatile. And hard. That’s why friendship is so important. Christian ethicist Lewis Smedes wrote an article about the power of making a promise. He says that when you make a promise to someone, “You have created a small sanctuary of trust within the jungle of unpredictability.” I think that’s great … Continue reading Trust in the jungle of unpredictability
Want to be steady for someone? Don’t be zig-zaggy
For the better part of a week I’ve been touching on the idea of being a person of your word. I’ve talked about keeping track of your promises, keeping your promises, what to do when you haven’t kept your word, and how your reliability can be someone else’s stability. Let me share another idea that … Continue reading Want to be steady for someone? Don’t be zig-zaggy
Your reliability can make an impact
Right now I’m in a teaching series about how to be a person of your word in a world of verbal mistrust. [See the 50-second preview video here.] It’s generating a lot of interesting discussions. And in today’s devotional, I’d like to dig into something I’ll be talking a little bit more about this coming … Continue reading Your reliability can make an impact
When you haven’t kept your word
For the past two days I’ve been talking about being a person of your word—a person who is honest and trustworthy. In Matthew 5:37 Jesus taught about the importance of speaking with sincerity: “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” It’s a statement that … Continue reading When you haven’t kept your word
A light, even in your words
Yesterday’s devotional was about being a person of your word. I said that people who keep their promises keep track of their promises. It makes total sense. If you’re going to be a person who is trustworthy and who keeps their promises, you have to know what they are. You need to keep track of … Continue reading A light, even in your words
Can you remember what you promised?
Before the world of contracts and fine print, do you remember hearing about agreements that were made on the shake of a hand? Remember when someone could be trusted “at their word”? Nowadays, that seems rare. We live in an age of verbal mistrust. So many people break promises that it doesn’t even surprise us … Continue reading Can you remember what you promised?
