BEING FAITHFUL TO OUR VOWS

For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name. (Psalm 61:5 NKJV)

I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people, (Psalm 116:18 NKJV)

 The psalmist had been brought very low by the sorrows of death, but God had mercifully intervened to deliver him in answer to his cry, and he now walked before Him in the land of the living. It seemed as though the cup of salvation had been put into his hand, overflowing with blessing. He tells us that God had loosed his bonds, as though he had been some wild creature of the woods, which had been trapped, but was now set free and able to realize its former glad buoyancy of life.

Under such circumstances, it is natural to ask, "What shall I render to the Lord for all His mercies toward me?" The first and most reasonable thing is to pay the vows which we promised when we were in trouble. Nothing so deadens the heart as to vow and not to pay.

We ought to fulfill our vows for many reasons. First, because it is dishonoring to God to play fast and loose with Him; second, it deteriorates character to resolve and not to do, for such failures render the next resolutions still more brittle; third, it is a great hindrance to those who may have heard us make our vows, when we go back on them; fourth, the vow which is not kept shows that we have failed, both in vowing and performing, to rely on the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. When a deed, from the inception of the first thought to its ultimate performance, is wrought in God, there can be no fear that it will not become permanent (John 3:21).

If you have vowed to be God's servant, see that you are as you have vowed; if you have promised service, money, gifts, amendment, or lifelong devotion, be sure that your promise is kept. What a glorious affirmation is in Psalm 116:16: "O Lord, truly I am Your servant." The reduplication of the sentence is very significant, especially when joined to Psalm 118:27. Do we not need to be tied by the cords of faith and hope and love of the mercies of God, and by the keeping grace of the Holy Spirit? Our own resolutions and pledges are so frail and uncertain, but God's grace is sufficient to make us what we long to be in our best moments (Romans 12:1-2).

PRAYER

Defend us, Father God, from the treachery of our unfaithful hearts. We are extremely frail and indisposed to every virtuous and gallant undertaking, Grant that we may bring our vessel safe to shore, into our desired haven. I pray in Jesus' name, AMEN.

God's Daily Promise

Promise #354:
I will seek after those who worship Me in spirit and truth.

John 4:23 (WEB)
But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers
will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshippers.