Promises are made to be broken. Some wise sage understood reality when he uttered these words. Much as we might try and wish otherwise, promises, more often than not, are made and broken. New Year's resolutions are rarely kept. Lifelong marriage vows are not always so. Appointments are not always kept. Loans and mortgages are defaulted.
Promises made to God are far more serious. Many desperate souls have made absurd promises in a time of crisis and peril, only to be quickly forgotten when the crisis is past. Better to have not promised than to have made a rash promise.
"Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the LORD and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, 'All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!'" (Exodus 24:3)
Sounds good, so far. But, anyone with a basic knowledge of Israel's history, recorded in the Bible, knows that the promises were broken - not once, but repeatedly. These blatant promise-breakers incurred the wrath of God.
The lessons are not that we should be promise-shirkers, but rather that we be people who carefully count the cost of commitment. Jesus says, "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?" (Luke 14:28). Count the cost before you make the promise.
I, began the Christian life a lot like I began married life - idealistically and unrealistically. Emotions easily obscured reality. Thankfully, through the grace of a loving wife and loving God, I've survived both and held true to the promises. But both the Christian life and married life have brought reality checks. Living according to the promises is not without challenges.
In Exodus twenty-four, there is mention of an unusual and somewhat bizarre action by Moses: "Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, 'Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.'" (Exodus 24:8). Moses took the blood of sacrificial animals and sprinkled it on the people.
Thank God; the blood of our sacrificial lamb covers us amidst our promises and covenants. While there is high probability that we will fail in our promises, there is a far greater probability that the blood will cover our failures and allow us to live in His grace. May we seek to live faithfully today as we rejoice in the covering of grace.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2011
Promises made to God are far more serious. Many desperate souls have made absurd promises in a time of crisis and peril, only to be quickly forgotten when the crisis is past. Better to have not promised than to have made a rash promise.
"Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the LORD and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, 'All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!'" (Exodus 24:3)
Sounds good, so far. But, anyone with a basic knowledge of Israel's history, recorded in the Bible, knows that the promises were broken - not once, but repeatedly. These blatant promise-breakers incurred the wrath of God.
The lessons are not that we should be promise-shirkers, but rather that we be people who carefully count the cost of commitment. Jesus says, "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?" (Luke 14:28). Count the cost before you make the promise.
I, began the Christian life a lot like I began married life - idealistically and unrealistically. Emotions easily obscured reality. Thankfully, through the grace of a loving wife and loving God, I've survived both and held true to the promises. But both the Christian life and married life have brought reality checks. Living according to the promises is not without challenges.
In Exodus twenty-four, there is mention of an unusual and somewhat bizarre action by Moses: "Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, 'Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.'" (Exodus 24:8). Moses took the blood of sacrificial animals and sprinkled it on the people.
Thank God; the blood of our sacrificial lamb covers us amidst our promises and covenants. While there is high probability that we will fail in our promises, there is a far greater probability that the blood will cover our failures and allow us to live in His grace. May we seek to live faithfully today as we rejoice in the covering of grace.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2011
posted by steve @ 9:40 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home