Is Your Word Your Bond?
When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the Lord your God will surely require it of you.”
Deuteronomy 23:21 (NASB)
My dad was a respected man in the village and in surrounding villages; men often came to him with their problems. What made him stand out was his honor with which he carried himself, treating others with fairness and kindness. Dad had read widely and could advise on many topics of conversation. Above all it was known that if Charlie Kearns said something it could be trusted, his word was his bond. I was raised to follow in his footsteps in these things, and since my childhood I have learned to be cautious with my words and particularly my promises, never being too quick with either.
As I grew up, I saw that like my dad I stood out from my peers, for the same reasons that dad stood out from his peers. There are those who despise honorable individuals, the light of their honor shines on the grime in their life. It also became clear to me that for many folks that I knew talk was cheap; they would blurt out the first thing that came to mind in any given moment, or even make empty promises. I recognized the qualities of honor in others too and became friends with them; indeed, two of these men are still as close as brothers to me today. Other folks have faded away into the past, like shells washed out to sea. In all this I talk of man’s honor; our text today calls us to a higher honor – that expected from a child of God.
Dear reader, do you wear the cloak of holy honor for your God? Have you filled your mind and heart with the wisdom of His Scriptures, saturating your behavior and speech with the Word of God and the presence of Christ? Brother and Sister, is your word your bond for God today? When you make a promise, do you keep it; to men but most of all to God your Father?
Alan Kearns is a Christian father and grandfather from Scotland. He was raised in the mining villages of Fife and came to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior in 1984. A major influence that leads Alan to Jesus was his Christian mum, grandparents, and an aunt. Alan writes regular devotionals in his blog Devotional Treasures (https://devotionaltreasure.wordpress.com/).
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