December 09 | Broken Promises
Psalm 89:1-4 (NIV)
A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.
1 I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
through all generations.
2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant,
4 ‘I will establish your line forever
and make your throne firm through all generations.’”
Ever watch an action movie where the hero is going to do a "save the world feat" but first makes a promise to a child boldly declaring, "Don't worry, I'll be back"? Many times, the hero doesn't come back and the child would cry, "But he promised!"
Before my open-heart surgery, several well-meaning Christians said to me "Don't worry, you'll be ok," or "You'll do fine". Although they were hopeful comments, the promise was not realistic because it was out of their control to make such a promise. Just like the hero, and yes, even though it's a movie, still, saving the world was out of their control. Promises seem to be broken daily even when we are in control. Marriage can be a perfect example of this; two people make promises to one another in the sight of God and man, only to break those promises in which they were in complete control.
Ethan the Ezrahite was a songwriter and second wisest man recorded in the Bible, who penned the 89th Psalm. Ethan begins the psalm with a burst of enthusiasm declaring the love and faithfulness of God. He then shouts out a promise that God made to David, but backs it up with the character and attributes of God. Ethan describes God in such a way that you gain confidence that He is not a promise-breaker, but actually a promise-keeper!
Roughly a thousand years after this psalm was written, the promised Messiah would come to pass in the birth of Jesus.
Have you been disappointed by broken promises? Have you been a promise-breaker? Have you been impatient with God because a promise is not fulfilled yet?
Today, enthusiastically begin to declare the promises of God in your own life.
—Rich Dela Cruz