Promise

 

1      Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? *

    who may abide upon your holy hill?

 

2      Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right, *

    who speaks the truth from his heart.

 

3      There is no guile upon his tongue;

he does no evil to his friend; *

    he does not heap contempt upon his neighbor.

 

4      In his sight the wicked is rejected, *

    but he honors those who fear the Lord.

 

5      He has sworn to do no wrong *

    and does not take back his word.

 

6      He does not give his money in hope of gain, *

    nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

 

7      Whoever does these things *

    shall never be overthrown.

 

Psalm 15 The Book of Common Prayer

 

 

I like this psalm, especially two things about it. First, I know the answer to the questions posed in verse 1 (I like being a show-off ;) Second, verse 5 stings. I'll start with verse 5.

 

The psalmist is saying in verse 5 that a wholesome, God-fearing person keeps her word. My dad taught me to keep my word, no matter what the consequences. What he meant by this was that, even though a better option will come up or even though keeping the promise you may get tired, without your word, you are nothing. Not quite God's words but I would bet God leans in that direction. In other words, once I break my promise, how can anyone believe the next one? Trust is shattered or pretended. Oath-breaking is a relationship stressor if not breaker. Trust is as necessary to live as air.

 

Now, verse one. Who can rate God's favor? Well just by promise–keeping standards, no one! Everybody loses. Here is where Christ and Love come in. Christ covered our slights to God (if we slight another, we slight God, by the way.)

 

I am covered for my oath breaking. As a sign of my gratitude, I begin to keep my oaths. If I break them God forgives me, but I begin to move far from God. Sure, God is anywhere I am but I no longer perceive his presence due to the stubbornness of me.

 

May I make well thought-out promises today and may I keep them. If I say I will, big or small, may I follow through. Just because I love God.