Be Quick to Keep Your Promises to God
By Rick Warren
“When you make a promise to God, keep it as quickly as possible” (Ecclesiastes 5:4 GNT)
As you start a new year, you may be making some resolutions. Some might be commitments to yourself, your career, or your family. Others may be promises to God.
If you make a promise to God, you should be quick to keep it. Just like delayed obedience is disobedience, a delayed promise is an unfulfilled promise.
Ecclesiastes 5:4 says it clearly: “When you make a promise to God, keep it as quickly as possible” (GNT)
Another promise to keep is to run quickly from temptation.
With temptation, you need both preventative and emergency tactics. Preventative tactics mean that you work to keep yourself out of tempting situations. But today let’s focus on emergency tactics—what to do when you are being tempted.
The Bible clearly says what to do with temptation: “Run from all evil things” (1 Timothy 6:11 NLT).
That’s right. When you feel tempted to do something self-defeating or dishonoring to God, you should move out of the situation rapidly.
What should you not do? Don’t argue with temptation. Don’t fight it. Why? Because you’re going to lose.
If you’re watching something on television that tempts you to lust, change the channel. If you struggle with alcohol, run far away from the bar.
One specific temptation the Bible tells us to run from in 1 Corinthians 10:14 is the worship of idols.
“Wait a minute,” you might say. “I don’t have idols in my house.” Let me ask it another way: What person or thing do you idolize? Success? Beauty? A favorite athlete or sport? A certain celebrity? Social media?
Anything you put before God is an idol. Today few of us have idols that look like stone or wooden figures. Instead, we carry our idols in our wallets, watch them on TV, or park them in our driveways.
No matter what your idols are and no matter what your temptations are, the strategy is clear: Run away. Don’t argue. Don’t fight. Run. If you don’t want to get stung by the bees, get away from the hive.
So as you enter this new year, resolve to do two things quickly: Keep your promises to God, and run from temptation.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Time's running out... have your gift DOUBLED and get the 2020 Prayer Journal!
Right now, a Matching Grant will DOUBLE your gift up to $100,000 to finish the year strong and reach even more people with the hope of Christ in the year ahead.
To say thanks for your gift, we’re excited to send you the 2020 Daily Hope Prayer Journal.
God loves for you to spend time talking with him. He loves to hear your prayers! And this resource offers practical encouragement for your prayer life and space to record your requests and document God’s answers.
Request the 2020 Daily Hope Prayer Journal when you give below—knowing your generous gift will be doubled.
But the Match and the special thank-you offer expire December 31, so please don’t wait.
Give now to help share the hope of Christ with more people worldwide in 2020. Thank you!
*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.
