I like the word "promise". I looked up the definition and it says this:
A declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that guarantees that a particular thing will happen.
Assure someone that one will definitely do, give, or arrange something; undertake or declare that something will happen.
To me, a promise is absolute! There is no negotiation, no changing your mind.....whatever "it" is IS set in stone. It is a vow, an oath a covenant.
When my kids were little I took the words "I promise" very seriously. If they asked me for something or to go somewhere I would really think out the situation, all angles BEFORE I would say "yes, I promise". I know there are circumstances beyond my control that could have changed those situations but I'm almost positive that never happened. My kids knew with 100% certainty that when I said those two words, "I promise" that it, whatever "it" was WOULD happen. If there was even a slightest chance that what they asked wasn't possible I might say "we'll have to wait and see", or "I'm not sure", or "maybe" but I would not say "I promise". I think those words are important. For me, there is no wiggle room. It's like I've always said, "No one forces you to get a pet or have a child". If you neglect and/or abuse either one WHY do you have them? Same with a promise. If you can't follow through, just don't say it! It IS important!!
Can you imagine if God didn't uphold and follow through on the promises he's made to us? I can't. Every morning I pray "Thank you for being the constant in my life. Thank you for being the SAME, yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever". Where would I be?
Psalm 119:5 says:
"Your promise preserves my life"
Psalm 145:13 says:
"The Lord is faithful to all his promises
and loving toward all he has made"
Titus 1:2 says:
"a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of times"
God promised Noah that he would never flood the earth again. God promised Abraham and Sarah a child though they were both very old. There is not a single time that God has broken a promise. It is a foundation we can lay our very lives on and KNOW with 100% certainty that God will deliver.
That is GREAT comfort to me. Especially on those days when the world seems to want to derail me or someone has broken a promise to me.
Sometimes I promise to do something that seems good and right because I have attached my own expectations to it. Then when that "something" doesn't meet MY expectations a few things can happen.
#1 - I'm disappointed that it didn't turn out like I thought it should.
#2 - I may have hurt feelings
#3 - I have to stick with it because by promising to do it, my integrity is important.
Those are hard things. BUT I CAN rest in the comfort of knowing that God has promised to work all things for his good.
Soo...I promised God, made an oath to him that I would abstain from sweets and extra added sugar. So far, I AM abstaining. I didn't say it was going GREAT, didn't say I haven't been tempted, didn't say "gosh, I never even think about it"....nope, not there yet, if ever. :-) It is very hard and I find myself looking at something and justifying whether or not it counts as a "sweet". "Dark chocolate is good for me, right?!" One M&M couldn't hurt, right?"
I remind myself that the satisfaction of one little bite would be momentary and I would feel so guilty. That is not an emotion I like to feel. So I have to think of that every single time I'm ravaging my cupboards for something that just might be an acceptable treat!
I'm learning a LOT from the sermon series on Ecclesiastes! It is SOOO good. Solomon is right, everything under the sun is a chasing after the wind! Pleasure is momentary.
"The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again., there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, "Look! This is something new"? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time."
I have to chuckle...isn't it true. A small bite, an M&M, a cookies, a piece of candy, or six, a Reese Peanut Butter Easter Egg that are only out this time of year and are so yummy and so fresh like that big bad of them I saw at Sam's Club and wanted to buy 10 bags and I was counting and wondering if they would still be selling them so I could have one when I am done being in the wilderness {{{{{breath}}}}} would only bring temporary happines.....errr.....euphoria.......If you said "Dianna, that is a run on sentence" you are right and I'm aware of it. Therein gives just a little window to my struggle. :-)
Through all of this I can be so thankful for God's word. It holds me up because it NEVER changes in a world that never stops changing.
My hope is that you are all resting in God's promises today.
Have a God day.
XOXO
