Sep 8 | Vows made before God are of great importance to Him | 5MDevotionals | Manna-to-live-by | 5 Minute Devotionals | originally written by William MacDonald
September 8
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— (Eccl. 5:4)
We have all heard of the man who, when he finds himself in a tight spot, makes a vow to God. He promises that if God delivers him, he will trust, love and serve Him forever. But when he escapes from the crisis, he forgets all about the vow and goes on living the same old life.
What place do vows have in the life of a Christian, and what guidelines are given in the Word on this subject?
First of all, it is not necessary to make vows. They are not commanded, but are generally voluntary promises made to the Lord in gratitude for His favors. Thus we read in Deuteronomy 23:22 NIV: “ But if you abstain from vowing, it shall not be sin to you..”
Second, we should be careful not to make rash vows, that is, vows that we won’t be able to fulfill or that we might later regret. Solomon warns us, “Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.” (Eccl. 5:2).
But if we do make a vow, we must be careful to keep it. “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). “"When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you. (Deut. 23:21 NKJV).
It is better not to vow than to vow and not pay. “Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.” (Eccl. 5:5).
There may be exceptional cases where it would be better to break a vow than to continue in it. Before his conversion, a man may have taken vows in a false religion or in a secret fraternal order. If it would be contrary to God’s Word to fulfill those vows, then he must obey the Scriptures, even at the cost of breaking the vows. If they were simply vows not to divulge certain secrets, then he could remain silent concerning them the rest of his life, even after severing his ties with the order.
Perhaps the vow that is most commonly broken today is the marriage vow. Solemn promises made in the presence of God are treated as of no great importance. But God’s verdict stands: “The Lord your God will surely require it of you and you will be guilty of sin” (Deut. 23:21 NIV).
******************
* TO SUBSCRIBE THIS CHANNEL, please click the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/c/5MDevotionals?sub_confirmation=1
******************
* Today’s Manna, originally written by William Mac-Donald
* Adapted and developed as 5MDevotionals, Manna-to-live-by, One-day-at-a-time,
for YouTube, by John Benjamin
* For PREVIOUS DAYS’ DEVOTIONALS, please click the Link below:
https://www.youtube.com/c/5MDevotionals
* THANK YOU and to GOD BE THE GLORY!
************
* Channel Contact: benngrace@gmail.com
* Channel Name: 5MDevotionals
* Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/5MDevotionals
* "Truth to live by one day at a time”, "366 Bible Devotional" was originally written by William MacDonald and published in the USA by J.B. Nicholson, Jr., Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Published in India by Moriah Ministries, Post Box No. 2540, East Park Road, Chennai 600030, India (moriahministries@gmail.com)
#5MDevotionals #MannaToLiveBy #WilliamMacDonald #OneDayAtATime#VowsMadeBeforeGodAreOfGreatImportanceToHim #JohnBenjamin
0 Comments