6 REASONS YOU SHOULD KEEP YOUR PROMISES

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

APRIL 24, 2022

TOPIC: 6 REASONS YOU SHOULD KEEP YOUR PROMISES

 BY T. O. BANSO

“They make promises they don’t intend to keep. Therefore punishment will spring up among them like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field” (Hosea 10:4 The Living Bible).

In relationships with fellow human beings, it is very important to discipline yourself to fulfil your promises. Making promises is voluntary. If you make a promise, make sure you fulfil it. Don’t make promises that you have no intention to fulfil.

Some people are quick to make promises and forget about them immediately because they have no intention of fulfilling them. Such people could be called liars. They have no integrity.

In Hosea 10:4, God says this about the Israelites: “They make promises they don’t intend to keep. Therefore punishment will spring up among them like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field” (The Living Bible).

It is the same attitude that such people extend to their relationship with God. They do not redeem their pledges or fulfil their vows, which nobody forced them to make. However, I am not talking about keeping your promises to God in this message. I am limiting myself to keeping promises to fellow human beings.

In law, a contract is an agreement that creates an obligation binding on the parties, whether the contract is written or oral. Therefore, don’t enter a contract hastily without understanding or being ready to fulfil your obligations. Many have entered into contracts unadvisedly and are suffering the consequences.

Some contracts need to be written and signed for them to be enforceable. Don’t hurry to sign what you don’t understand. If you must consult a legal practitioner, please do. It may cost you some money, but it is ultimately cheaper than what you may pay if you fail to fulfil your obligations. Don’t be penny-wise, pound-foolish. Keep your promises.

6 Reasons you should keep your promises

1. God demands that you keep your promises. Failure to keep your promises amounts to lying. And the Word of God forbids lying. Leviticus 19:11 says, “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another” (New King James Version). A lying tongue is one of the seven things that are an abomination to the LORD (Proverbs 6:16-19).

As a Christian, you must eschew all forms of lying. Lying is a sin; it’s one of the sins that comes from the heart that defiles a person (Matthew 15:19-20). “Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another” (Ephesians 4:25 New King James Version).

2. God is a promise keeper, and if you’re truly His son or daughter, you should emulate Him. If you’re a promise-breaker, you don’t resemble God. The psalmist asks in Psalm 77:8b, “Has His promise failed forevermore?” (New King James Version). No. God’s promises have never failed. Hebrews 11:11b says Sarah believed that God would keep his promise. And God fulfilled the promise of a child of promise, Isaac!

Solomon said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses” (1 Kings 8:56 New King James Version).  In 2 Corinthians 1:20, it is written, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (New King James Version).

The New Living Translation puts it this way: “For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our ‘Amen’ (which means ‘Yes’) ascends to God for his glory.” Hebrews 10:23b says, “God can be trusted to keep his promise” (New Living Translation). As His child, you should also be trusted to keep your promises.

3. It is a good testimony of your faith as a Christian. Being a promise-breaker makes people question the authenticity of your claim of being a Christian. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (New King James Version).

If non-believers are breaking their contracts and you also do, in what way are you different from them? If some non-believers could fulfil their promises, why shouldn’t you? If you’re a child of God and you habitually break your promises, you’re not representing God well, especially before non-believers.

4. It will earn people’s respect and trust. Promise-breakers are not treated as honourable people. The respect and trust they have is a huge capital for them. It goes before them in many places, working for them even before people who have no transaction with them before.

A reputation for breaking promises is a great liability. It works against one even before people who have never transacted any business with one. You don’t demand respect and trust; you earn them.

5. It helps you not to get into trouble. Failure to keep some promises, such as contracts, can put one in trouble. Some people have been dragged to court because they failed to fulfil their contractual obligations. Avoid a breach of contract.

Matthew 5:25-26 says, “Come to terms quickly with your enemy before it is too late and you are dragged into court, handed over to an officer, and thrown in jail. I assure you that you won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny” (New Living Translation).

Although the penalty for breach of contract is not imprisonment, those who are guilty of it in civil litigation could be held liable for damages. But where there is a criminal intention in the contract or criminal activities, there could be criminal liability. Fulfil your contractual obligations.

6. You will reap what you sow. According to Galatians 6:7b, whatever a man sows, he will also reap. The Golden Rule says to do to others as you want them to do to you.

I have seen some promise-breakers really get annoyed when those who made promises to them did not fulfil them. That was a good opportunity for them to experience what they had subjected other people to with their failed promises!

God says of the Assyrians: “You expect others to respect their promises to you, while you betray them! Now you, too, will be betrayed and destroyed” (Isaiah 33:1 The Living Bible). Verse 8b says, “The Assyrians have broken their peace pact and care nothing for the promises they made in the presence of witnesses—they have no respect for anyone” (The Living Bible). Do you care for the promises you make to others? If you don’t, it means you have no respect or regard for them.

Promise-breakers will reap what they have sown. 2 Timothy 3:13 says, “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (New King James Version).

How do you feel when people fail to keep their promises to you? You feel bad of course. So don’t break your promises to other people if you don’t like others to break their promises to you.

Don’t rush to make promises. Don’t try to impress people with your promises. Think before you commit yourself. Be sure you can deliver on what you want to promise. “One who doesn’t give the gift he promised is like a cloud blowing over a desert without dropping any rain” (Proverbs 25:14 The Living Bible).

If for any unforeseen reason you cannot fulfil a promise, inform the person you’ve promised in good time. As much as it is humanly possible, fulfil your promises.

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and was raised on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The LORD be with you.

PRAYER POINTS: Father, I shall not be a promise-breaker. As much as it lies within my power, I shall fulfil my promises.  Holy Spirit, help me not to make rash promises. Help me to think well before I make promises. Father, I pray that those who make promises and don’t fulfil them will repent and keep their promises henceforth in Jesus’ name.

(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T.O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org