As Good as His Word

"... and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof." Joshua 23:14 (KJV)

Little Teddy stands in the driveway with tears streaming down his face. His dad had left at the first of the year but promised to take him fishing in the spring. Dad called Monday to tell him to be ready to go Saturday morning at 7:00 AM. Now, it is 6:55 and no sign of dad. Had he lied to him or was something wrong? Teddy couldn't sleep at all last night because he was so excited. Just as he is about to go back inside, he hears the familiar rumble of Dad's truck pulling in the driveway. Dad kept his word after all.

The importance of being honest cannot be overstated. "A man is only as good as his word," is an old saying. The scripture in Joshua 23 (above) is part of Joshua's dying declaration. As he was nearing death, he wanted to remind Israel that God had kept all of his promises to them. In spite of all the conflicts and 40 years in the wilderness, they were at last in the land of Canaan which God had promised to them.

In our own lives, we can look and see promises God has delivered on and some we still wait for and pray about. Many times in our lives, situations look impossible and problems insurmountable. God has proven repeatedly in all of our lives that he is trustworthy and dependable. Even in those times when we may have grown weak in our faith and discouraged, God still keeps those promises he made to us.

What about us? Can our word be counted on and taken as gospel? Have we earned a good name by being trustworthy and dependable? Like in our story, it may seem a little thing to us to not keep our promises, but those we fail to keep may cause hurt that can never be repaired. If we are to be godly and faithful Christians, we must be to others like God is to us — as good as our word.

Copyright © 2019 Andy Hollifield, used with permission.