Is your word any good? Like the Old Westerns, “My word is My bond.” We like to think we are people of our word. We make a concerted effort to follow through and do what we said we’d do. We want to be seen as straight-shooting, trustworthy folks who keep their promises.

When someone doesn’t keep their word to us we get irritated, don’t we? Of course! With politicians, we just expect them to break their promises. We are disappointed when companies break their policies, their promises. We are hurt when someone breaks their word. Broken promises break our trust.

The Bible speaks about “giving your word” as making an oath. Like the president and other officials take an oath, a promise, to faithfully execute the responsibilities of their office. An oath is a solemn promise, often invoking a divine witness, regarding one’s future action or behavior.

We know first, that sometimes making an oath can get you into trouble. Like when King Herod who swore an oath ended up cutting off the head of John the Baptist (Mt 14:6-10). Or the time Peter perjured himself, swearing an oath that he didn’t know Jesus (Mt 26:72).

But more realistically, we know we often break our promises. In today’s world, if something better comes along, people will do what they can to walk away from their prior commitment. We break our promises to friends, our children and our spouses. If we are painfully honest with ourselves, we admit that we are not always true to our word.

Because the LORD is a God of His Word, the church is a community where we make many promises. Every time you say the Apostle’s Creed you are making a promise that you believe in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit over every thing else. If you were married in the church you promised to make Christ an active part of strengthening your marriage. When a child is baptized, parents make promises to bring their children to worship regularly and raise their children as Christ followers. When we do Affirmation of Baptism on the Sunday of the LORD’s baptism. you make a public profession of your faith, a promise, that you intend to continue in the covenant God made with you in Holy Baptism (LBW, p.201). We make lots of promises in the church. When we do, we are not making promises to the Church, but to God.

And we know. We break our oaths to God. Although we expect God to be faithful to us, we make excuses for why we are not. We rationalize why it’s okay to break our oath, our covenant, with the LORD.

We should know that God holds us to our word:

“When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.” (Num 30:2, see also Deut 23:21, Ps 116:14)  

And again:

“ When you make a vow to God, do not delay fulfilling it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you vow.” (Eccl 5:4, see also Ps 22:25, 50:14, 66:13.14, Ezek 16:59 and Matt 5:33-37)

Yet, God makes a way for us sinners who don’t keep our word, who don’t stay true to the Word. Even though we distrust and despise his WORD, the LORD is always faithful. Even if we are faithless, he remains true. (2 Tim 2:13) Our God is a God of His Word. “For no word from God will ever fail.” (Lk 1:37) The LORD swears an oath on His own glory to be our God and to be with us (Deut 29:12-13, Deut 31:23). So, the LORD sends His Word in the Flesh. The Word and Promise of God is incarnated in Christ who willing takes up the Cross. The Word in the Flesh takes on all our unfaithfulness upon the cross to give us God’s Word, give us God’s faithfulness.

God makes a way for us oath breakers so that by trusting in the Word Made Flesh we are made faith filled. As we trust in the Promise Giver and Promise Keeper, we are empowered to walk in his Word. We become the faithful in Christ.

May the LORD’s unfailing love, your salvation, come to you, according to His promise. (Ps 119:41)

Your servant in the Gospel,

Pastor Douglas

“But I will not break off My lovingkindness from him, nor deal falsely in My faithfulness. “My covenant I will not violate, nor will I alter the utterance of My lips.” (Psalm 89:33-34)

The Lord has promised to never break His covenant. Many go the way they will, but the Lord is always faithful. He holds out His hand of mercy for those who will take it. His grace endures and in love He offers salvation. Though your sins be as scarlett, come to the Lord, know His goodness and receive His forgiveness. Know that the Lord who is faithful will teach you to be faithful in the love He grants by grace.

Lord, when things do not go as I think they should I fear and wonder where You are. Your promises are sure and Your presence is real. It is I who is far off. It is I who is distant. Bring me close to see that You are always there. Lead me in the way I should go that I may now and always walk in Your ways and know the goodness of Your mercy. Lead me, O Lord, that I may follow.

Holy Spirit, You are always calling. Lord Jesus, You have paved the way. Father in heaven, Your goodness is ever present upon the earth. Help me to walk this day humbly in Your presence and know that in Your grace alone is the hope of all people. In You alone will the promise be fulfilled. Lead me, O LORD, that I may now and always walk in the way of faithfulness and live in Your mercy and grace. Amen.

“My lovingkindness I will keep for him forever, and My covenant shall be confirmed to him. “So I will establish his descendants forever and his throne as the days of heaven.” (Psalm 89:28-29)

The descendants of the holy One are those who believe. As many as believe are the ones that are in His lineage. The gift of salvation has been granted to those who walk after the One who has called them from the beginning of time and walk in the ways of the Lord. This age will pass away and those who come to eternal life through the Savior will be united with Him forever.

Lord, there is more than I know or see that is going on. Grant me eyes of faith to trust that no matter what happens around me, I am in Your hands. Guide me in the call You have given that I would walk now and always in the life You have given me through faith.  Lead me by the grace I need to hold fast to the truth You have revealed that nothing would snatch me away from You.

Lord Jesus, You have sent the Holy Spirit to lead us all the days of our lives. Guide me now and always in Your way that I would walk humbly in the faith You have given me. Teach me and grow me according to the Father’s will that I would now and always live into this life to which You have called me.  May I hold steadfast to the faith and not falter that I may be with You always. Amen.

“I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, I will establish your seed forever and build up your throne to all generations.” (Psalm 89:3-4)

Lord, You have made a covenant through the salvation You prepared from the beginning. Guide the thoughts of my mind and the meditations of my heart to realize that no matter what comes in my life, You have given the invitation to walk in the salvation You prepared from the beginning. Lead me, O Lord, into the life of faith to which You have called me that I would know Your promises are true.

Lord, I often waiver and wonder about what happens around me. I forget that You have prepared for the truth that all things work to glory for those who love You. Guide my heart to learn to trust first and foremost in You and all that You have promised. Do not let me be led astray by this world’s wickedness, nor be surprised at what happens around me. Help me be true to You.

Lord Jesus, You are the One who has come that as many as believe would not perish, but have everlasting life. Guide me in my day-to-day life that I would humbly walk in the salvation You have prepared. Keep me from wandering down the many broad ways that I encounter each day. Help me remain true to the calling You have given and walk in the narrow way of salvation You have prepared. Amen.

“God will hear and answer them – even the one who sits enthroned from of old – with whom there is no change, and who do not fear God.  He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him; he has violated his covenant.”  (Psalm 55:19-20)

The Lord is unchanging.  There are times where the wicked seem to be free to do their wickedness, but the time comes when, for them, there is no more peace.  Do not be deceived, all things are in the Lord’s hands and in Him is the hope of eternity.  He shall prevail.  The Lord offers the promise to all, but only for those who come into His covenant does He fulfill the covenant.

Lord, let me not be wrapped up in the ways of the wicked, but instead, walk according to Your never changing Word.  Lead me in the way of righteousness, that I may go as You lead.  Help me discern the difference so I may see plainly Your way of truth and walk in the counsel of Your Word.  Guide me according to Your goodness to understand more clearly the things You would have me do.

Lord Jesus, without You and the grace You give it would be impossible.  Help me now and always to live according to the never-changing way You have established in the creation.  Guide me by Your light to walk in the way I should go that I may not veer from the narrow path of life You lay before me.  Help me now and always to seek Your way for my life and listen to Your counsel.  Amen.

In crises the people cry out to God.  Even those who do not believe.  Yet during most times they remain silent.  The evidence of the Lord is all around and any who will look only need to open their eyes to see.  Yet many will not.  The godly ones gather together and look to the Lord.  In Him is all that is needed.  Come to the Lord while you may and learn from Him truth and life.

Lord, like many around me I am a fair-weather friend and do not look to You at all times.  Lead my heart away from where it is to where it needs to be.  Guide me according to Your principles to live into the life to which You have called me.  Help me now and always to be with You and in You following where You lead.  Guide me to live into the covenant You have established.

Lord Jesus You have come to reveal God.  Guide me now and always to live in the way You have established and keep me from veering off of the path.  You have made the possibility of living in the covenant established possible through Your grace.  Lead me by grace to live into the life to which You call me.  Help me now and always to live seeing You as my Lord and Savior.  Amen.