“The Value of a Promise”
 

The value of a promise lies on the reputation and on the character of the person making the promise. At the end of the year many people will have the option to make great promises to themselves and to other people of what they are going to do in the coming New Year. People may say, “I am determined that in the New Year, things will be different,” or “I am going to stop torturing myself about what I did or didn’t do this past year.”

In essence it is good to stop being bound to past failures. Maybe you are starting the New Year feeling broken, due to prevailing circumstances in your life. All I can say is this; be encouraged and know that the Lord, God almighty fulfills His promises. The word of God encourages everyone not to be overwhelmed by the past failures but to trust in the Lord because with God nothing is impossible. 

God, in His great love, made a promise to a young girl named Mary that she would give birth to a son who will be the savior of all those who believe in Him. This is what we read in the Gospel of Luke; “30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:30-35-NIV).

Today we can be assured that God’s promise to save us from our sins has come true in His Son, Jesus Christ. God will always come true in His promise because God’s character is love. The good news is that God is faithful, the creator of heaven and earth, the one who heals the brokenhearted, who proclaims liberty to the captives, who opens the eyes of the blind, who sets liberty to the oppressed, this God will fulfill our individual promises.

The value of a promise is on the character and faithfulness of the one who makes the promise. As people, we may fail in our promises but for God, all His promises will always come true. When we make promises for the New Year, we are encouraged by God’s character and seek His assurance and guidance to fulfill our promises.        

            Have a Happy New Year.

Pastor Paixao Baptista