December 4 Petition Mission

“I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed” (Jonah 2:9). We are glad God always keeps His promises. Is it any surprise that He wants us to do the same? Jonah, although a bit banged up in the process, finally followed through.

God’s insistence on being people of our word is stated thus in the Law: “If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth”(Num 30:2). The Lord expresses His appreciation for the one “who swears to his own hurt and does not change” (Ps 15:4). Even if we find, after making a promise, that fulfilling it will be detrimental to us, we hold honesty in such high regard that we go ahead anyway.

If you can’t keep your word, then keep your words to yourself! As someone has put it, “People with good intentions make promises; people with good character keep them.” Live truth; don’t just profess it.