Breaking Words That Bind You.

What is a promise? It is defined as "to give an assurance of (something to someone); undertake (to do something) in the future:". Why are they so significant? Why is it so painful when they are broken?

From a biblical perspective, a promise is something to be fulfilled and carried out. This is seen in God's promise to never flood the earth again. The fulfillment of the old testament by sending Jesus to be crucified on Calvary. The promise that you can be reborn and have a fresh start with everything forgiven. And promises that are waiting to be fulfilled, such as the second coming of Christ. The point though is that God keeps His promises no matter what.

Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"

Think about times people have broken promises to you. It didn't make you feel very warm and fuzzy, did it? In fact, it may have made you feel angry, unloved, or unimportant. Every single person is guilty of breaking a promise. It doesn't matter how small of a promise it is. If you give someone your word, they should be able to trust that your actions will match your words. Don't make a promise you can't keep because you are bound to break the words that bind you.

"I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered." Psalm 89:34

If you ever make a promise to God, try and remember how He keeps the promises made to you. So why should you break the ones you make with Him? Think of how it felt to have someone you love break a promise to you. I bet it hurt extremely bad. Do you think it hurts God any less? If anything it hurts Him more. Know that God will never break His promises to you even though other people have broken their promises.

Isaiah 54:10 "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you."

Forsaken?

Lord, hear my cry.
     If you forsake me
I will surely die
     Before the sun does rise.
Dry my tears.
     Whisper words of love
To relinquish my fears
     Of the nightmares past,
The tormenting present,
     The foggy future.
This cloud of uncertainty - constant,
     Never dwindling, never ceasing.
This body bestowed upon me,
     By troubles of the earthly realm
Has succumbed to being weary.
   

Little Monkey

As a little girl I loved adventure. One of my favorite things I used to do was climb trees. In essence, I was a little monkey. I would fearlessly climb as high as I could. My feet never lost their holdings and my hands always found a branch or a root to cling on. One day I was merrily climbing a tree. It was nice and sunny outside. Just another ordinary day. Wrong. This time I got stuck and couldn't get out of the tree. This was the time before eight-year- olds had cell phones, so I couldn'y just call my dad. I panicked because I felt alone and no one was there to help me. I screamed for my dad and he heard my cry. He came to the tree I was climbing. I got down on the lowest branch I could reach. My dad held his arms out. I jumped and he caught me. My father came to my rescue.

How often does our Heavenly Father come to our rescue when we call Him? So much more. He helps me keep my sanity and makes me feel like I'm never alone. All you have to do is ask.

⁹ “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."
Luke 11: 9-10

Think of how independent you try and be. Think of how you try to deal with everything on your own instead of praying to God about it. As christians we do this more than we realize. I know I do. If we are having trouble with school, relationships, work, our self-esteem, whatever it is, why do we wait until we start sinking in quick sand before we go to God? Sometimes we feel like He's not listening if we don't get the answer we want to hear. Then we quit praying and become stubborn. It doesn't have to be that way. God isn't a genie. He doesn't grant you all of your wishes in the snap of a finger. That doesn't mean you shouldn't pray to Him. He helps you if you allow Him to. He wants to help you. Just search your heart. If it's been awhile since you've talked to God, know that it's never to late to call for help. Do YOU want Him to help you, or do you want to try and do everything on your own again?