The Value of a Promise is Only as Good as One’s Word

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth (Isaiah 55:11)

What’s your most valuable possession?

Some people value their home above all else. For others, it may be their pet. Some value their job, position, status in life, or wealth. I’ve heard it said, “Clothes make the man”, but the truth is an expensive suit looks equally good on a liar as it does an honest man.

All of these mean very little if your word is of no value.

Why?

Your word is the only true representation of you.

In examining the character and nature of God, it’s easy to learn how He values what He says:

“The Lord has done what He purposed; He has fulfilled His word...” (Lamentations 2:17, NKJV)

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11, NKJV)

God values what He says, He doesn’t make empty promises!

I regret that in my life, I have made promises I have never kept. Regardless of the circumstances by which I didn’t keep my word, what I said and what I did were not consistent.

That’s the difference between God and man; God is consistent!

That’s why when He makes a promise, we can be confident, He will honor His word.

People don’t forget a liar. We remember the person who exaggerates. We steer clear of those we consider untrustworthy.

Why?

Because their words are empty, lifeless, and not valued.

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, NKJV)

God’s word is alive!

Have you ever seen anything lifeless accomplish anything?

A beautiful painting can be quite inspiring, but there is no life in a painting. A architect can design a beautiful skyscraper, but no matter how tall and majestic it is, it will never exhale the breath of life. Houses, clothes, cars, position, career, none of these contain the breath of life.

Life comes from the Giver of Life.

When I learned how God values His word, I began to understand how important my word is. I realize God values what I say.

“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the Day of Judgment.” (Matthew 12:36, NKJV)

God encourages me to allow the same mind that is in Christ to be in me. I think that means my words should bear fruit.

But how can they if they are lifeless?

Perhaps I should measure my words more carefully so that when I make a promise, I will honor what I said and endeavor to complete what I said I would do.

As a boy, my childhood friend was the only person I knew who had a mother and father, and they lived in an actual home! His father was a New York Yankee baseball fan. I was just learning about sports but being from Chicago, I was a fan of the Chicago White Sox. One day, I was over my friend’s home and I was talking about how the White Sox could beat the Yankees. His father heard me and challenged me. Out of my mouth came the words, “I bet you the Sox will beat the Yankees!” So, I bet my friend’s father, even though I had no concept of the historical tradition of the Yankees or Sox.

I lost that bet and for days, I was ashamed to go over my friend’s home because I didn’t have the money to cover the bet. I finally decided I couldn’t keep avoiding him so I walked through alleys collecting bottles for the deposit until I had enough to cover the bet I made. I was thinking, he won’t take the money but when I walked up to him and said, “here’s the money I owe you for the bet Mr. Morris”, he just smiled, a short, stubby cigar protruding from his mouth, reached and took the money from my hand and said, “I told you the Yankees were the better team!”

“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;” (James 1:19, NKJV)

I no longer go around bragging about sport teams I like. Don’t get me wrong, I still love my Chicago teams, but I don’t go around saying what the outcome of a game will be; I certainly don’t entertain bets!

It’s better if what I say contains more than just idle words, chatter, vanity. I should desire to say what can be of benefit, of use, words which have a purpose.

The value of a promise is only as good as one’s word.

God’s word is true. That means His word is alive, filled with life-giving properties. I can rely on God’s word because He values what He says. He not only wants me to value and believe in His word, He also wants me to experience the benefits of trusting His word.

If, you’ve never experienced the power of God’s word, or you haven’t for a long period of time, why not start today and see what God can do for you?

Andrae’ Crouch sings the song, “Through it All” where he talks about learning to depend upon the word of God:

I’ve Had Many Tears and Sorrows, I’ve Had Questions for Tomorrow, There’s Been Times I Didn't Know Right From Wrong. But In Every Situation, God Gave Me Blessed Consolation, That My Trials Come To Only Make Me Strong. Through It All, Through It All, I’ve Learned To Trust In Jesus, I’ve Learned To Trust In God. Through It All, Through It All, I’ve Learned To Depend Upon His Word.

A Note of Thanks: I would just like to say that I appreciate each of you who visit My Thought-filled Journey. Taking time out of your schedule to read a post on this blog is encouraging to me. Many of those who visit, will from time to time leave a comment. Whether a comment is left is not important. What is important, is that you came. I do hope you find encouragement and inspiration in these words. Please know I will pray with you regarding any circumstance you may be facing. Feel free to write me to say "Hello", request prayer, or share what God is doing in your life. I have not said it enough, but thank you for the light of Christ in your life which illuminates the way for us all.

Note: This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays (hosted by Charlotte).

Faith in God

Oh the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful, And since we've no place to go, Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Yesterday, due to the predicted snowfall, I was informed that I didn’t need to drive to work. “Let it snow…let it snow…let it snow!” I turned on the radio and heard a man was talking about different types of Christians. As I listened to him give an opinion on what a “true Christian” is, I wondered how a person’s faith morphed into one’s material possessions. A sick Christian lacks faith in God? A poor Christian has little to no faith in God? A well-dressed Christian has tremendous faith in God? The kind of car a Christian drives reveals their faith in God? Really? Christ was asked by His disciples about a blind man: “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Neither this man nor his parents sinned, said Jesus, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:1-3, NIV) Somehow we Christians began to equate materialism with salvation; the more prosperous you are, the greater your faith in God. “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45, NIV) “Then Peter began to speak: I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism…” (Acts 10:34, NIV) God blesses whom He will bless. Can my faith entitle me to fashionable clothes? This kind of philosophy condemns those who are sick, poor, unemployed, homeless, or otherwise lacking prosperity. It teaches the premise that; My current status in life is directly linked to my faith (or lack of faith) in God. How is this any different than teaching that I need Christ to die again for my sins? Joe, a Born-again Christian is informed that due to a drop in the quarterly sales, his company must lay him off. He goes home and tells his wife Margaret, who immediately surmises that due to a lack of faith in God; his name was added to the Layoff List instead of the Keep Employed List. I think we Christians should be careful whom we condemn and who we exalt. Answers to my prayer are within the sovereignty of Almighty God. How God answers my prayer is solely up to Him; my faithful responsibility is to trust Him, no matter what He decides. written by MTJ

A Note of Thanks: I would just like to say that I appreciate each of you who visit My Thought-filled Journey. Taking time out of your schedule to read a post on this blog is encouraging to me. Many of those who visit, will from time to time leave a comment. Whether a comment is left is not important. What is important, is that you came. I do hope you find encouragement and inspiration in these words. Please know I will pray with you regarding any circumstance you may be facing. Feel free to write me to say "Hello", request prayer, or share what God is doing in your life. I have not said it enough, but thank you for the light of Chist in your life which illuminates the way for us all.

Note: This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays (hosted by Charlotte).

Have Faith In God

Previously on My Thought-filled Journey:

“…we believe but we are tormented with the question, Will God? We just don’t know if God will…we doubt the character and faithfulness of God. Not always openly but certainly subconsciously. We doubt the will of God, usurping it with a mixture of mistrust and uncertainty. We either don’t know or we’ve forgotten who God is; so we seek assurance elsewhere.”

Throughout scripture, the overriding point of emphasis is to trust God. God expects this of us. He anticipates this from us. God awaits this from us. Why? I do not know but I believe it is because God seeks preeminence in every aspect of our lives.

Think about this, throughout the Old Testament, the recurring cycle of events is that the nation of Israel would experience apostasy, oppression, repentance and deliverance; and throughout the Old Testament, God remained faithful. Time and time again, a generation would worship the gods of other people. This was usually because they no longer knew the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. As a result, apostasy would initiate a new cycle of the same events.

This cycle wasn’t just confined to the Old Testament nation of Israel. There may no longer be a worship of Baal or Dagon but the gods of greed, lust, selfishness, cruelty, hatred, discord, jealousy, dissension and envy are religiously followed and worshipped. I can’t have faith in God if I practice these things in my life. There is no room for God and other gods in my life.

In the Gospel of Mark, he states that:

“The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves…Then he said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’…In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, look! The fig you cursed has withered!’ ‘Have faith in God,’ Jesus answered.”¹

God wants me to trust Him to the degree that I agree with Him. My faith in essence is agreeing with God. I do not believe I’m required to know the intricacies of God’s plan for me but I am required to trust that plan. The thing is, I don’t believe God needs (or depends) on me to fulfill His plans. By that I mean that if I yield to God's will, He can use me. If I don't yield to His will, He will still accomplish His purpose. God told Jonah to tell the people of Ninevah to repent but when Jonah refused, God used a whale to get his attention and obedience. God is never caught off guard by my actions or responses; because he intimately knows me. If I don’t trust God, it does not nullify the faithfulness of God. God will fulfill His purpose however and through whomever He chooses. If it’s through unfaithful me, it will just take longer. Not because God is slack concerning His promises; I am the slacker.

The bible says,

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God…”²

Why is wisdom important? It enables me to understand the purposes of God in my life, so that when I pray, I’m asking in faith; agreeing with God to allow His will to work in and through me.

“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”³

How do I have (possess) faith in God? The bible identifies three components to having faith in God:

1. Believing in God
2. Trusting in God
3. Accepting the will of God

Believing God has an imperative for the Christian; knowing God. Knowledge of God comes from planting His word in me, empowering me to agree that God is truthful. The bible teaches that God is in agreement with Himself but for my faith to bear fruit, I need to reach agreement with God. The struggle for me is intellectually, emotionally and physically; these parts of me resist agreement with God. This is no surprise to God; it is however, a surprise to me. My mind tries to comprehend the things of God but often I’m unable to deduce (intellectually) how or if God will answer my prayer. My emotions grapple with fears, inadequacies and worry reminding me the worst possible scenario is about to play itself out in my life. My body echoes the reality of limitations or its threshold to pain bringing me to focus on myself.

In each of these areas of my life, I’m turning inward to myself, focusing on me; insulating myself with my thoughts, emotions and physical limitations. But this is where belief conquers doubt. Belief overcomes and transcends my thoughts, emotions and physical limitations, empowering me to agree with God. God does this on my behalf through the power of His word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in me. God does not leave it up to me to believe Him; that is an impossible task for me alone. God has put the Holy Spirit in me, empowering me to agree with Him. The word of God gives me a basis of knowledge about God, enabling me to learn more and more about His love, faithfulness and concern for me. As I learn more and more about God, I gain the awareness that God is the embodiment of truth. Knowing that God is truthful with me positions me to agree with God’s word in my life.

Trusting in God takes me beyond simply agreeing with His truth. Trust is more than acknowledging God’s truth; trust embraces the truth of God’s word. Trust assures me that I am not alone. Trust is the realization that God goes before me; no matter what I am faced with in life. Trust is a confidence in God and not in me.

The bible says,

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”⁴

It is a reminder that I am not alone. The Lord is at work demonstrating His life, power and salvation in my life; producing His character in me.

All my life, I’ve struggled with patience. I can remember walking up to the express counter in a store and changing to another line because it was taking too long. When I became a Christian, I prayed for patience and God gave me opportunities to produce fruit. Instead, I tried to deal with the challenges that tried my patience on my own; I wouldn’t trust God. I had to know God, learn about God’s patience and believe that God was patient with me. These opportunities for patience, were my one-on-one practice sessions with God; teaching me to wait on the Lord.

Today, I continue to have opportunities for patience but I’m not that same man; I trust God now. I don’t mean to say that don’t fail in demonstrating patience; I do. But those instances of failure have significantly decreased over time.

Accepting God's will for me is the final component of having faith in God. It is the understanding that God’s will for me is perfect; in spite of my circumstances and environment. As my knowledge of God increases, I’ve learned to accept His will for any area of my life. When things do not occur as I’d hoped, I don’t blame God for deserting me, I thank Him for knowing what’s best.

I believe God is looking to demonstrate Himself in the life of each Christian. The Marines may be looking for a few good men and women but God is looking for people of faith. I remember years ago, we had this old clunker. It leaked oil, was always in need of a tune-up and was misaligned. One day it just died on me. As I rode in the tow truck, I wondered what it was going to cost to repair it. When the mechanic gave me the estimate, it was close to three hundred dollars. It didn’t matter to me. He could’ve said three dollars, three hundred dollars or three thousand dollars; I couldn’t afford to pay any amount. In that moment, I began to pray for the money.

In my mind, I knew I didn’t have the money so it needed to come from another source. It was then that I was reminded that the Lord will never leave or forsake me. I had this thought in my mind which said, “This is an opportunity for me to demonstrate that I am God”. I remember thinking that God wanted me to allow Him to prove Himself in my life. In that moment, I totally accepted God's will for this circumstance. Instead of a miraculous infusion of money; we paid the repair bill over time because the owner of the shop extended grace to us. God answered my prayer and I was willing to accept His plan for this opportunity. God also answered a subsequent follow-up prayer; that was the last used car I ever owned.

Belief, trust and acceptance. If you practice these three, you will have ample opportunity to have faith in God.

Footnotes:

1. Mark 11:12-15; 20-22, NIV
2. James 1:5, NIV
3. James 1:6, NIV
4. Hebrews 13:5, NIV

References:

1. Is it, Will God? or God Will!, My Thought-filled Journey
2. The NIV Study Bible, Edited by Kenneth Barker, Donald Burdick, John Stek, Walter Wessel and Ronald Youngblood, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530, USA
3. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, By James B. Strong, S.T.D, LL.D., Riverside Book and Bible House, Iowa Falls, Iowa 50126