Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 21-22; Luke 22:1-30.
Memory Verse: “Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.” 2 Samuel 21:1 (KJV).
Several years ago, I went to pick a senior pastor who would minister to us in our parish and as we were on our way on Lagos-Ibadan Express road, the Lord spoke to me clearly, He said son, build me a church before you build your next house and I said, Yes Sir. Over the years a lot of things happened and I forgot the promise. I had opportunity to build the church but because of some financial challenges, I did not even remember my promise anymore. Subsequently I built another house as we needed to move from where we were due to serious traffic on our route to work. And then things began to turn upside down but I didn’t realise it until later when it got worse and I had to run to God to tell me what the problem was! He showed me and I remembered and I redeemed my promise. But things did not just turnaround immediately because I found out that I had also transgressed along the way because of the initial promise that I did not fulfill. So I needed to also right those wrong.
This is similar to what happened to the Israelites. They had promised the Gibeonites that they would let them live in peace and would not kill them in Joshua 9:1-15. But subsequently, Saul transgressed and killed them and God, our God of Justice punished them for their sin with a famine. 2 Samuel 21:1 (KJV) says, “Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.”
David later appeased the Gibeonites and the famine stopped. Are you going through any unusual situation contrary to the blessings God has promised you? You need to check your Christian life. If you are still in good standing, then seek the face of God and ask Him what is responsible for the situation. He will surely answer and you should then proceed to restitute. But you may be lucky that God has not sanctioned you yet for not fulfilling your promise to him. You need to examine your life and ascertain if there is any promise you have made in the past that you have not kept, please quickly fulfill such promises before you incur the wrath of God.
It is also important that you should keep all your promises to men. If you cannot keep your promises to fellow brethren, you are not likely to keep your promises to God. The golden rule is “If you cannot keep a promise, do not make it.”
Prayer point: Father, give me the grace to always fulfill all my promises in Jesus Christ’s name.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero