Promises

Dear friend

Have you ever heard “cross my heart, hope to die”?
Or perhaps you said it when you made a promise?
As a child or even later?

Me, I had to look up where it came from, and for those of you who may have said it but never thought about its origin or meaning or either of these, it is taken from a poem – here is the link to the full poem if you are interested – some of it goes like this:

Cross my heart
and hope to die
stick a needle in my eye
wait a moment,
i spoke a lie
i never really
wanted to die.
but if i may
and if i might
my heart is open
for tonight
though my lips are sealed
and a promise is true
i won’t break my word
my word to you.

Interestingly enough, one of the articles on the internet about this poem states that this poem is said to be stemming from the passage in Matthew 5:33-37
(Don’t all thing come from GOD and from the bible to some degree???)
Where it says:

Matthew 5:33-37
³³ Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
³⁴ But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:
³⁵ Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
³⁶ Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
³⁷ But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

So we ought not swear oaths at all…

Have you?

At court?

Or perhaps you are a doctor or a civil servant or a lawyer and swore on the constitution?

Me, I have.

But not only that…

I also swore to GOD many times.

Most likely many more times than I even remember.

Have you?

And it dawned on me that this is not only against HIS will, as we shouldn’t swear at all (nor oaths and most certainly not swearwords either, that’s for sure 😉 ), but also, I realized that it is with many other things the bible bids us not to do:

When we do it, we are entering very dangerous terrain.

Why that is?

GOD is a GOD of covenant.
HE will do what HE said HE will do.
And if we don’t do what we are supposed to do, HE will let us – but we will no longer be protected, and the devil can accuse us and can gain legal rights to attack us and to block our blessings.

GOD will forgive us, no doubt.

But this could even be the reason why we are still suffering, struggling, why the devil can still harass us – we have given him a right to do so because of sloppiness with our promises to GOD!

But what if we don’t even remember we made HIM a promise or even swore that we would do xyz if HE would help us out of this mess, if HE would heal us, deliver us, grant us this wish, lets us pass this test?

Have we not all at least tried to make a deal with GOD?

Perhaps even before we got saved?

And then, did HE hear us?
And if HE has – what did we do?
Did we doubt it was HIM who helped us?
Did we accredit this outcome to ourselves, to “good luck”, to some”body” (a human person) helping us?
Did we really try to diminish GOD’s part in our success, in our healing, in our solution?
And did we perhaps even ignore HIS help, ignore that HE kept HIS part of the deal – and not keep ours?

I have to pray about this, friends!

Not that I have a specific example coming to mind right now, but I have this vague, troubling notion that I might have done this.
Not deliberately, but I might have forgotten something I once promised GOD to do.
And then, I do remember where things I once promised GOD were too hard for me to keep and I had to repent and ask HIM for strength.
And lastly, there are the things which I vaguely sense GOD does want me to promise HIM and I am reluctant to do them or to promise I will routinely do them- or the ones I am supposed to always do and not always manage to do, like reading my bible, pray, share JESUS with others.

Oh dear.

LORD have mercy.

I can only IMAGINE how disappointing this must be for HIM.

Can you imagine yourself if GOD ever forgot something HE promised you?

Me, I can.

I will be the most annoying and penetrating brat and be tiffing, crying, screaming and accusing HIM of not loving me anymore – if HE ever didn’t do something HE once promised me.

Yet, I do it all the time to HIM – I believe we all do – when we sin – small or large sins… a sin is a sin is a sin… isn’t it?

Friends.

I am glad when I think about this.

Glad that GOD is better than I could ever be. That HE is the most loving and forgiving FATHER.

And I am trying to better myself – not promising to do so, but trying… and asking THE HOLY SPIRIT to show me where I go wrong, to remind me what I had planned to do and to teach me righteous ways… a long journey…

Thank GOD I have someone to look up to and to learn from and to listen to on the way – someone who will never leave me nor forsake me – no matter how wrong I should be.

Thank GOD.

Thank you JESUS, thank you HEAVENLY FATHER.

Thank you for your love and for your guidance, wisdom and forgiveness and thank you for never, ever lying and for never, ever forgetting YOUR promises – please forgive me for when I have, please show me what I need to do to make it right.

In JESUS’ name I pray.

I was led to Psalm 51, where David repented and asked to be cleansed and asked for a clean heart after sinning and committing adultery – and GOD rejected him not.

Psalm 51

51 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

² Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

⁴ Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

⁵ Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

⁶ Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

⁸ Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

⁹ Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

¹³ Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

¹⁴ Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

¹⁵ O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

¹⁶ For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

¹⁸ Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹ Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

As we know, GOD forgave David.

Whatever it is my friend, that you have done, or that you have forgotten to do according to what you had promised GOD, ask for HIS forgiveness right now with me… and if you do not know the LORD JESUS and HIS forgiveness of sins, please do not wait any longer and give your life to HIM right now.

Here is an example of what you can pray in your heart right now, if you want to make JESUS LORD over your life:

“Dear Heavenly Father, I acknowledge and confess that I have not lived my life for YOU to this day, but have been living for myself and in sin and that is wrong. Please forgive me of all of my sins just as I forgive others. I need YOU in my life; I want YOU in my life.
I recognize the completed work of YOUR only begotten Son JESUS CHRIST in giving HIS life for me on the cross, I believe in my heart JESUS is LORD and that HE was raised from the dead and ask for YOUR forgiveness, which YOU have made freely available to me through this sacrifice.
Come into my life now, LORD!
Take up residence in my heart and be my KING, my LORD, and my SAVIOUR!
From this day forward, I will no longer be controlled by sin, or the desire to please myself, but I will follow YOU all the days of my life. Those days are in YOUR hands.
I ask this Jesus name.
Amen.”

If you have just prayed this prayer, you are now part of GOD’s kingdom and family and I heartily welcome you, my dear brother or sister!

The next thing to do is get a bible and find a church where you can receive further instructions, so that your new life in THE LORD may prosper and that you will become who HE made you to be.

GOD bless you and if you have any questions or need any assistance, please get in touch.

For the rest of us, I hope and pray that this will inspire, encourage, heal and bless you.
And that THE LORD will bless you abundantly in all areas of your life, that HE will keep you and shine HIS face upon you and bring you PEACE. In JESUS’ name I pray. AMEN.