To be fully HUMAN — A Daily Reflection

Judges 11:30-40 NIV

In the passion of the moment, Jephthah made a vow that he would soon regret.  He said that if God let them defeat the Ammonites, he would offer the first thing that came out of his door as a burnt offering.  That "first thing" turned out to be his only daughter.  In making this vow, Jephthah became one more in the ranks of people who make rash vows to God – making promises they don’t want to ke

Hannah promised to give her son to God if God would grant her a son.  God gave her Samuel, and she kept her promise.  Saul, on the other hand, swore to kill anyone who ate before evening.  That "someone" turned out to be Jonathan, his son.  Saul would have killed Jonathon if the soldiers had not intervened.  Then there was Herod Antipas, who made a rash promise to Herodias’ daughter and, as a result, was forced to have John the Baptist beheaded.

Scripture admonishes us to think before we speak, to consider the consequences of our words.  Ecclesiastes 5:2 (NIV) says, "Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God.  God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few."  Whatever you promise to God, He expects you to honor.  So if you make a promise to Him, you’d better think about it long and hard, and consider whether you can keep the promise or not.

Jephthah, in his fervor to defeat the Ammonites, ended up condemning his own daughter to death.  From reading the passage, it looks as though he kept his promise.  But how very painful that was for him.  And how very needless was that pain.  If Jephthah had just thought before he spoke, he would not have lost his daughter.

How many rash promises have you made to God?  How many have you kept?  How many times, after the fact, have you realized that the promise you made was not one you could keep?  How many times have you made rash promises only to forget them as soon as God answered your prayers?  Remember what Matthew 12:36 (NIV) says - "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken."  Make sure that any promises you make to God are ones you intend to keep, not just promises made in a moment of panic without thinking.  Remember that what God wants from you is not foolish promises about tomorrow.  Instead, He wants your total obedience today.