Keep Your Promise to God

“When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it.” Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 NLT

In a heartwarming story published by Runner’s World last week, 39-year-old runner Farouk Gomati detailed his harrowing battle with Guillain-Barre syndrome (an autoimmune disease that attacks the nerves that branch out from the brain and spinal cord). In 2013 Gomati said he was a full-time musician and went on to say,”I was active, enjoyed tennis, and was recently married with a four-month old son. I had just completed the last phase of a two-month tour around South America when, during our final stop in Bolivia, I ate chicken that wasn’t properly cooked. Shortly after, I experienced severe headaches and, weeks later, numbness spread rapidly throughout my body. After being rushed to the hospital, I was placed in a three-week induced coma. When I woke up, I was on a breathing machine and 100 percent paralyzed. Over the next two years, I underwent intensive rehabilitation, slowly rebuilding my strength and regaining control of my body. During this process, I promised myself that if God healed me and I could walk again, I would one day run a race. It became a driving force in my recovery—a personal commitment to honor the gift of movement and a reminder of the resilience within me.” Thankfully God did heal Farouk and, although the rehabilitation and training was far from easy, Gomati kept his promise to God and crossed the finish line of the Life Time Miami Half Marathon on February 2, in a time of 2:21:19.

And, you know, when it comes to fulfilling our vows  to God, Solomon knew that we should guard our steps when we go to the house of God—meaning we should be reverent, prudent and wise with our words when coming to meet with God. Which is the very reason Solomon said, “When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools.” He then went on to say, “It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it.” You see, God doesn’t take broken vows lightly. Hence the reason we are not to even tarry one iota in fulfilling an oath we’ve made to the One who has power beyond our comprehension. 

So, knowing that we honor God by having a heart set on pleasing Him and showing integrity in all things, be very careful before you make a vow to the Lord my friend. And if you do make a promise to the Creator of all good things, be sure keep it no matter how hard it might be to do so. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that vows to You should never be made without prayerful and careful consideration. Lord, please cause us to understand that You are the God of all power and deserve our ultimate reverence, honor, and devotion. Help us to fear You Lord, that we might gain a heart of wisdom that keeps us from stumbling. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!