TEXT: 11:35
''And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back.''
He who promises and makes it good, acts like God; hesitation and deep consideration must precede the giving of any promises, no matter how small it might be: for when a man swallows his promises or goes back on his words, he declares to the promisees that he is not worthy of his trust. So, before a promise is given out, note must be taken of the power and chances of making good those promises. Let no man nor angel pull a promise or vow out of our mouths; but, when by our free volition, we birth words of promises, men and angels have right to sue us for them: as God made Himself our debtor by His promises, thus we get into the debt of any man that has our promises: and a saints must owe no man anything. As there is no variableness and shadow of turning with God regarding His promises, so must we be men that are not fickle, being yes, today; and nay the next: this only makes us appear ungodly and hypocritical before the world, 'among whom we should shine as light!' Saints are wont to make promise by fit and start, or out of the heat of the moment; this is ungodly! Whatever we are not certain about, should not enter into the list of our promises. Promise should be made base on what is at hand and sure to come. God promises what is within the pale of His will: whatever is thus within His will, is also in His power to perform. Whatever God's wills, He has power to perform. Promises must be made base on the power to perform. Many of us must beg God for forgiveness: we are fickle and take not our promises serious. If we open our mouth unto the Lord or men, we are bound to labour not to go back on our worlds, but make it. Promises not intended to be fulfilled or made good, is but idle words, of which we shall give account on that great day of reckoning! We have reason to fear that God might not make good His promises to us, if we strive not to make ours good to our fellow men. To be continued.