Author: Christian Channel

Daily Bible Study
God takes our promises to Him very seriously. This means we cannot let our emotions and pride get the better of us. In ancient Jerusalem, during the time of Temple worship, when someone made a vow to the Lord or gave something over to the use of the Lord, it was considered sacred and irrevocable. Vows to God were not something that was done rashly or without thought. And throughout the Bible, we have seen the consequences of this in both the Old and New Testaments. We have read the stories of people who have hurt themselves and others because of a rash or foolish vow. Vows made during times of boastful pride or strong emotions. What this shows us is that vows were considered important and sacred. They could lead to either the blessings or discipline of the Lord.

This depended on the person's ability to keep the vow as well as the person's heart and the reasons for the vow. However, today we have lost that concept. And it's become commonplace to hear someone say, "I swear to God." It's common to hear promises made to God on the spur of the moment, as people ask for divine help. We have to remember God does not hold us blameless when we do such things. And it's more serious for the children of God. Because of our faith in Christ, making such a false vow that we later revoke or can't fulfill will affect God's blessings on our life as well as the closeness of our relationship with Him. God tells us in the epistle of James, to let "our yes mean yes, and our no mean no." This is the concept of, "we say what we mean and mean what we say." And as followers of Christ, this is part of our character along with honesty, integrity, humility, meekness and transparency with all people.