Scripture
I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will keep My word.
~Ezekiel 17:24, CEV
Quote
If people do not believe you when you speak; it is not on them. It means you have lost your credibility.
~Image Quotes
Is is a sin to break a promise? Is is wrong to give your word that you will do such and such and then fail to do what you verbally committed to do? According to the Bible, breaking promises is wrong; especially for a Christian because it gives Christ a bad name. Zedekiah was Judah’s last king and not a good one. Although he had respect for Jeremiah, he lacked the courage or faith to heed Jeremiah’s warnings and to obey God. Zedekiah was appointed to the throne by Nebuchadnezzar in 605 B.C. One of the conditions of his appointment was that he would be loyal to Neb but instead of listening to Jeremiah who counseled loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar; he listened to some hot heads and rebelled against the Babylonian king. He went to Egypt {world} for help and of course this infuriated Nebuchadnezzar. Sin is stupid and Zedekiah’s rebellion is proof of the pudding. The LORD was offended because Zedekiah broke a promise: he did not keep his word and the LORD said, “You disgraced My name” {Ez. 17:19}. Yes, Nebuchadnezzar was a pagan but it doesn’t matter, Zedekiah gave his word and didn’t keep it.
At one time our culture took pride in a man’s word but no more. When I came to DBC some forty years ago, Jimmie Stephenson handed me a contract to sign. Like a young and foolish person, I said, “I don’t need that.” I was insulted because my word was my bond. Jimmie understood and said to me, “It is for your benefit, not ours.” A man’s word doesn’t mean much these days and that my friends is sad commentary. In the old days, your word and a hand shake sealed the deal. Why do most people get a divorce? Because things are going bad and the relationship has become unpleasant; perhaps even a burden. What promise did we make at the altar: actually it was a vow to God–was it not for better or for worse? In courtship you will always see the best–people are not idiots. If I had erupted on June with a Bailey hissy fit our first night out: it would have scared her to death and she would have locked the doors the next time she saw me coming. We humans are like a sly fox, we put our best foot forward until the deal is sealed. I know a man who married a woman because she was a worker: she had two jobs, one at Publics and one at Walgreens. They got married and she quit both jobs and hasn’t had one since.
When we break a promise; we hurt everyone. God is offended because we call ourselves Christians. The person on the other end of the promise is hurt and we also hurt ourselves. Your name, credibility and integrity should means something but the more you fail to keep your word, the lower your stock goes in the sight of others.
I could use some prayer support today: we are conducting the service for Mallory Teague who was killed this week in a tragic car wreck. Mallory was only 27 years old. The service beings at 10:00 AM at Peck.
It is also BLOCK PARTY day at DBC. The Grace Barn is filled with stuff and I hope it gets carried away. It has rained on BP day for the past six or seven years and I expect a rain sometime today. That’s why we moved the GRACE BARN inside, our stuff kept getting wet.
Bad news: MacDonald’s has gone left: they now have gay pride fries: if it is true, I will not be back. It will be Jack’s or Hardee’s biscuits on Sunday morning.