My parents taught me that a man’s word is his bond, that a man is only as good as his word. That seems to be an outdated concept today. People will promise to do something, with no intention of doing it. Sometimes we do the same thing with God. To paraphrase Deuteronomy 23:21, we are told that when we make a vow, or a promise, to God, He will require us to fulfill it. If we don’t, it becomes sin, and God will deal with that. 

Many people make promises when they are in a tight spot, but forget them once the situation has passed. Over time, we may forget promises we made or promises made to us, but God does not. A promise is something we voluntarily make; no one forces us to make it. Let me be clear that I mean honorable promises and vows, not evil ones. 

What vows have you made? If we are married, we promised to be faithful to our spouse. If we borrowed money from a financial institution, we promised to repay it. If we are a member of a church, we promised to be faithful. A promise made should be a promise kept.