Why is it important to keep our promises?

Jacob, the son of Isaac, had to run away from his brother Esau. He left in a hurry and had very little olive oil with him. He found himself alone on his journey, sleeping outdoors. He took a stone and used it as a pillow. The ground was his bed, and the sky was his roof.

That night, God appeared to Jacob in a dream. At that time, the Scriptures had not yet been given as they are to us today. God revealed Himself to Jacob through this extraordinary encounter. Today, God has revealed Himself to us through His Word, the Bible.

After this amazing encounter with God, Jacob made a vow.

“Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.’” — Genesis 28:20-22

Jacob asked for God’s presence, protection, provision, and peace. In response, he committed himself to God. He promised that the Lord would be his God, that he would build a house for God, and that he would give a tenth of everything God gave him.

God made a promise, but we need to believe and act upon this promise. We need to enter into an agreement with God for us to reap the fruits of His promise in our lives. That’s how God works.

But what many people do is pray and then expect some kind of magic to happen.

God is not a magician. He is a miracle worker, but He does not work alone.

Moreover, God does not forget the vows we make to Him. He takes our words seriously.

The reason why many churchgoers do not experience the fulfillment of God’s promise in their lives is because they fail to keep their promise to Him.

They go to church, pray, sing, read a little of the Bible, and then go home and forget everything they heard. They continue living according to their own desires, their own understanding, or someone else's advice. They do not give enough value or respect to their relationship with God.

So, keep your word. If you make a commitment to God, take it seriously. Not keeping your word is disloyalty.

Jacob kept his word, God made Him wealthy, he made peace with his brother Esau, and God changed his name to Israel.

God honors those who honor Him. God wants to prosper you, give you a blessed family and a successful marriage, so that those who are suffering may know that there is a living God.

Let us keep our covenant with God until the end.