“You are my portion, O Lord; I have promised to obey your words. I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise” (Psalm 119:57,58).
There is a sweet story in the Bible about a woman who wanted a son. Her name was Hannah. Hannah was barren, but she told God if He would give her a son, she would give the child back to Him. God gave her a boy and she named him Samuel. Hannah kept her promise and gave Samuel back to God. She let him live and work at the temple from the time he was a young boy. It must have been hard for her to do that because it meant she could only see Samuel once a year. In return, God blessed her with five more children.
God used Samuel to do mighty things. Samuel heard God’s voice when he was still a child. He became the greatest judge in the history of Israel. He founded the nation by anointing Israel’s first two kings. He was faithful to God throughout his entire life. When we make promises to God, we need to keep them. We never know what blessings may come of being honorable or what sad things could result if we are not.
Even if the task is difficult, be glad when you keep your Word, because God always uses it for good, just like He did with Hannah. When tempted to renege on a promise, remember that God will give the grace to help you keep it. Ask Him.
Kimberly Snider is a missionary to the Philippines.
From “Moments for Moms,” a free email subscription.
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