You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. Joshua 23:14

As a Christian, father, husband and man, I take integrity seriously. I don’t want to be one of those people for whom talk is cheap; who say one thing and do another; who promise big and deliver small. The words we say matter and reflect on our character, and if we are a Christian the fulfilment of our word reflects on other’s opinion of God. That is why Jesus said, “Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.” (Matthew 5:37)

So, a while back Pam mentioned to me in the context of our family life that I was not following through on my word. I would say things like, “Wow, I could really go for some Chick-fil-a after church” or “Wouldn’t it be fun to go to Spashdown on Saturday,” These statements were taken seriously and as promises by our kids, while I was saying them more like desires, hopes or statements of intent that were subject to change if circumstances warranted. So, if I just wanted to go home after church because I was tired or I had filled up my Saturday with an ambitious home project or a counseling appointment, and we didn’t quite get to the leisure event … these things were viewed as broken promises, and my integrity was suffering.

Ouch. I have no desire to break my promises. I need to be more careful with my words. Then I got to thinking of all the other ways we make loose statements and sometimes let others down: “Hey, we should get together soon” or “Count me in, I’ll be there at six!” or “I’ll give you a call this week” or “Hey, I will be praying for you.” Sometimes we say things that we can’t or don’t fulfill as a way of making us look good or feel good in the moment. But people are counting on what we say and we should be more careful.

BUT GOD never steps away from his promises. Aren’t you glad he is perfectly faithful, absolutely reliable and fully trustworthy? What he says, he will do. Jesus said, “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17). Ultimately every promise will be fulfilled and Jesus will be the fulfillment of every promise.God is good. His timetable may seem long, but not one of his words will fall to the ground. Rest in it. Everything he says will come to pass in your life.

I promise!