July 20: LET'S HONOR COMMITMENTS!

There is one frustration that every church has in common. It affects every denomination and independent churches, also. It is the problem of people not honoring their commitments. People make many promises to God while in church but do not keep them. The inspiration of the worship is lost when the emotion cools down. It is the same with promises that people make to God when they are in the hospital, on the battlefield, or some other vulnerable situation.
What can be done to get people to honor commitments? Remain loyal? Fulfill promises? The prophet Jeremiah was dealing with this problem one day when thinking about God’s people not keeping their covenant with God. God gave him the Rechabites as an object lesson to use in teaching the people. (Jeremiah 35) The Rechabites were a nomad tribe that were the first followers of Jonadab. He made them promise never to drink wine. Jeremiah brought them into the Temple for a private party and set before them the best of wine. They refused it. No amount of temptation or coercion could pressure them to break their commitment. Jeremiah used this to teach the people, reasoning, if this tribe can honor a promise made to a forefather, why can’t the people of God honor God?
There are so many advantages and blessings in honoring your commitment to God. It is approved by God. It builds up the faith of other believers. It gives you a clean and clear conscience before God. It defeats death, because like the Rechabites, your heirs will inherit this precious characteristic of loyalty. It encourages the weak. Other members of the church will see your example of commitment and be more faithful and the frustration of unfaithfulness will leave your church.
Paraphrasing Deuteronomy 6:10-12, “While you are so busy working and getting rich and doing recreation; don’t forget your promise to God.” This would be a good weekend for you to prove the quality of your commitment.

“Help us, O Faithful God, to keep our promises to You. Grant us a keen mind
to remember our promises and a stiff backbone to honor them. Amen”