Keeping Your Word

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.  “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe."

John 14:23-29 NKJV

We live in a time when finding someone in leadership who keeps his/her word can be a rarity. And if there is no faith in the word that has been spoken, no trust, how can there be peace? The simple Truth is that there can't be. 

How are feelings of security nurtured? By keeping your word. Can your co-workers rely on you? Do they know you will keep your word? If your children learn that you keep your word, no matter what, they will learn that if you say it, it's true. And they can be secure because you said so. When training or teaching someone to have faith or trust you, sometimes it may need to be pointed out. "I promised you I would _______." "Didn't I say that I would_________?" Help them to make the connection. Jesus did it for us.

When first reading the Scripture for today, one might wonder why Jesus talks about peace in the middle of talking about keeping His Word. Is it just because He was going away and He didn't want them to worry? No. He was talking about not only us keeping HIS Word, but HIM keeping His Word. Remember? And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. 

The great news is, it applies to ALL of His promises. He said He hastens to perform His Word. We can believe what He says even when we can't see how, because we know He's as good as His Word.

Prayer:

Father,

         Thank You for being Trustworthy and for sending us Christ as a solid rock on which we are able to stand - no matter what storms are thrown at us. Remind us as often as needed. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen