Late last night, before I went to bed, I felt God urging me to open his Word. I turned to Psalms 110 and started reading. It wasn't long until I came to Psalms 116 and felt God speaking to me.
Psalms 116 - I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted: I said in my haste, All men are liars. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people, In the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem.
Praise ye the Lord.
Praise ye the Lord.
After reading this Psalm several times I felt verses 14 and 18
especially stick out to me, I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. This sent me on a word study. In the Strong's Concordance I found the Hebrew word for vow is nadar or neder which is a promise to God. I then searched for every verse in the Bible about making a vow and I wrote several of these verses down.
Numbers 30:2 - If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
Deuteronomy 23:21When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 - Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
How many times have I made promises to God?
We said our marriage vows in front of God, we dedicated our boys to Him and promised to raise them for Him, whenever a huge crisis hit I would promise if God will help with the situation I will dedicate more of myself to Him. How many times have I been convicted by a message and went to the altar and told God I would change something in my life or that I would serve more or do more for Him and even when I got saved I told God I repented of my sins and would love Him and serve Him and follow Him and He alone would be my Lord and Savior.
We said our marriage vows in front of God, we dedicated our boys to Him and promised to raise them for Him, whenever a huge crisis hit I would promise if God will help with the situation I will dedicate more of myself to Him. How many times have I been convicted by a message and went to the altar and told God I would change something in my life or that I would serve more or do more for Him and even when I got saved I told God I repented of my sins and would love Him and serve Him and follow Him and He alone would be my Lord and Savior.
God brought to my mind so many times I had made promises to Him and He also brought to my mind the many, many times I failed these promises. I have not always loved and honored and obeyed my husband, many, many times I have not been the best mother at showing my children Christ and raising them for Him. So many promises of changing and serving more that I have not followed through on, so many sins I have not turned from and I have not solely walked in His ways and loved Him with my whole heart.
God convicted me and brought me to my knees as I cried out to Him,
and He in His mercy heard me and forgave me and brought joy to my soul once again. Ecclesiastes 5:5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. I want to do as Psalm 116 verses 14 and 18 say and "pay my vows unto the Lord in the presence of His people". I want people to see that God has truly changed me and that I daily live for Him in all that I have promised Him. Thank you Lord for convicting me and guiding me in your truth!
You alone are my heart's desire and I long to worship thee.........
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