A Promise—A Means of Grace

“Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows!”

Jeremiah 44:25 

Today Ken and I celebrate our wedding anniversary. Tonight we’ll probably pull out the photo album and dine by candlelight. Maybe we’ll rummage around to find the cassette of our wedding ceremony, and we’ll listen to those tried-and-true words “for better or for worse; in sickness and in health.” The sickness and health part means more to us as the years go by. My disability, you see, isn’t getting easier. But listening to those vows is a way to refresh the promises we made to one another. Big promises. 

A fellow author once wrote, “If forgiving is the only remedy for what has happened in the past, then promising is the only remedy for your uncertain future.” My friend is right. Forgiving takes care of what has already happened to us, and promising takes care of what is yet to happen. 

I know that a young bride with bruised feelings is reading this right now. She’s saying to herself, I want to get out of this marriage and start over with a guy who really loves me. But that woman will remember a promise she made, so she will stick with her husband in hopeful love and helpful prayer. 

A minister who is reading this is telling himself, I feel like moving on to a job that doesn’t load me down with so much grief. But he remembers a promise he made when he was ordained, so he sticks with his congregation in pastoral love. 

Promise keeping is a powerful means of grace, especially in this day when people rarely live by their word. The only way to overcome the unpredictability of your future is through the power of promising. When you make a promise (and determine to stick by it), your future is secure. God will give you grace to honor your promise one day at a time. And a promise kept is grace given.

Strengthen me to keep my promises, God, to take them seriously, and to make the necessary sacrifices to fulfill each one.