Tuesday Reflection, January 11, 2022

Keep Your Vows To God

When we pledge or vow to God, we should make it our duty to fulfill our words. In Ecclesiastes 5 we are challenged to be reverent in our worship of God. Solomon challenges us to think carefully and consequentially when we approach God. This is because our words and actions before God will have consequences. If we make a pledge or a vow, we should be prepared to keep it or face the consequences of our broken words. The emphasis should not be on our words or even on our actions, but on our relationship with God. Thus, today’s watchword says: For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God. Ecc 5: 7

As we examine the text, it helps to look at the preceding verses. When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed— 5 Better not to vow than to vow and not pay. 6 Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your [a]excuse and destroy the work of your hands? Solomon implores us to keep our vows to God. Do not find excuses, for which excuse can suffice for an explanation of our failure to keep our vows to God? We sometimes fool ourselves by saying ‘God will understand’. This however is not the truth. God expects us to keep our words just as He keeps His words towards us. It takes effort and determination, and it will be worth it in the end. It is an honorable act to keep our vows to God.

What can we do, or how can we ensure that we keep our vows to God? Solomon gives us the answer in the last two words of the text. ‘Fear God’. To fear God is not to be afraid of God but to reverence and respect God. When we reverence and respect God, we will do only what is pleasing to God. We will keep our vows to God. Prov 9: 10 tells us that: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. In Job 28: 28 it adds ‘and to shun evil is understanding’. To break our vows our sacred promise to God means we went and did something we promised not to do, or we did not do something we promised to do. This is sinful action that results from our unfaithfulness. The truly wise person has learned what it means to fear God and keep His commands. There will be no need to make excuses for broken vows. It is a recognition that our complete duty or responsibility to God is fulfilled by fearing God and keeping his commandments. My prayer for us then dear friends is that we will be true to our vows and therefore experience the blessings of being faithful to our God.