What does it mean when you make a promise to someone? My father used to make them to us all the time as children. He would promise to take us on vacation. He would promise to be home on the weekends. And almost every time he would break those promises. Don't get me wrong, he had a good reason. But when you make a promise to someone, is there ever a good reason to break it?When we are young, we make promises all the time. We think we mean them. We try to keep them. We promise to love someone forever and that love fades away. We promise our friends they will always be our friends and then we drift apart. We promise our kids things all the time and circumstances prevent us from keeping that promise.
In the Bible, Jonathan and David made such a promise to one another. They promised to be there for each other and be that friend for life. Each of them took that promise so seriously they entered into a covenant with one another. And for me, that's when a promise is truly a promise. When you are so serious that you enter into a covenant with God and that person. And there isn't anything that warrants breaking that covenant.
There's a great song that Barry sings with Babs that illustrates the meaning of that covenant:
"even when it seems that everything is going wrong..this i swear, i won't be the one to let go"
For me, and for someone I made a promise to, that covenant means everything.
Texas Fan
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2 comments:
My husband and I made that covenant with God in our wedding vows...40 years ago this August. Many things have gone wrong in 40 years. But the covenant is unbroken. :-)
Yes. That is one of the most important covenants of all. Too many people don't take it seriously these days. The term "starter marriage" seems to permeate our culture. It's hard sometimes to stick with your covenant, but there are always rewards if we persevere.
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