A Bible Devotion: Keep Your Word

PROVERBS 11:3 NLT
3 Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people.

God keeps His Word (Titus 1:2), and as His children we are to be like Him (Ephesians 5:1). God is dependable so His people should be dependable. Christians should be known as people of honesty.

PROVERBS 12:22 NLT
22 The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth.

Keeping our word should be a priority. Our reputation should be more important to us than our feelings, our finances, or our comfort.

We should be like those mentioned in Psalm 15:4 who "keep their promises even when it hurts." People should be able to depend on us.

Will we do what we said we would do, even if it costs us? Or will we only do what benefits us? It is really a question of whether we will be selfish or whether we will walk in love.

But there is also another important reason to keep our word -- so our faith will work as it should.

MARK 11:23 NKJ
23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

Jesus taught that for faith to work effectively we must believe those things we say.

If you don't keep your word, it will affect your faith. If you want to walk in faith, and thus enjoy all the blessings God has provided for you, then you must believe what you say. Lying won't work!

Yet as humans, we all may sometimes find ourselves in situations beyond our control where it is impossible to keep a promise we have made. In such cases, we should apologize and go forward in life, asking God to help us do better next time.

SAY THIS: With God's help, I determine to tell the truth and keep my word.