Let's Make a Promise

After hearing the Wednesday message last week, I was so excited. One might even say I was giddy. I was giddy like a child who just won a $500 shopping spree to nearest toy store. I was so excited to receive revelation that I even prayed before I slept, "Why wait until tomorrow? I'm ready to receive revelation now!" I went to bed without any inspiration, but I was no less determined to receive it.

I woke up the next morning at my normal time and prayed  earnestly for a little over an hour still hoping to receive revelation, but I got nothing. Before I finished praying I said, "I haven't lost hope because you promised. I'll live today with joy waiting for that one word you might have to say to me." So I went through my day earnestly pleading to God, trying to tug on his heart strings. My goal was to look a lot like a puppy begging for food. You just can't resist that.

I watched the day go by looking for anything. I stared at the sky. I listened to people talk. I just sat and prayed. I went out to evangelize. I read the Bible. I read the Wednesday message again. Nothing hit me. It was like I had gone deaf or something. It was getting late and I was about to start praying before I went to bed and I thought to myself, "God. You promised." Then the inspiration came: "Don't break your promises."

It hit me like lightning and my heart was moved so I prayed an earnest prayer. "God you are always faithful to your promises. That's why I always get so much joy from what you say, receive grace, and live my life with hope. If you only followed through as earnestly as I did I don't think I would ever believe what you say. I really did not know that you wait for human beings to fulfill their promises with such earnestness like that." Remembering all the promises I made, I made up my mind to absolutely fulfill them.

If I could have I would have pinky-swore with God right there. Regardless, I felt God was relieved to hear what I had to say. I continued to pray about promises over the next few days and I realized how many times God must have heard promises from people that never got fulfilled. I thought, "Promises are not just things you say with your lips, but things you purpose in your heart. I'm sure everyone wants to follow God with all their heart if they really believe in Him, but how many actually do that?" Then the verse came to mind:

John 14:15  “If you love me, keep my commands."

What was at first guilt had at this point turned into love. God gives so many commands in the Bible and it might seem like he's so authoritarian and oppressive, but even when I received inspiration like this that initially sounds somewhat angry, it's an anger expressed out of love. If I never kept my promises, then I would never realize how valuable it is that God promises things and absolutely follows through with it. Thus I would never really know just how much he loved me. It would just remain a vague idea in my head rather than a palpable feeling in my heart. So I realized that God when God gives a command, it's not for the sake of controlling you. It's actually a promise to give you blessings if you fulfill your promise to follow it. So I prayed to God, "Let's make a promise."