October 16, The Sincerity Trap

Today’s reading: Psalms 76-80

“Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them; let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the One to be feared”
- Psalm 76:11.

Believers are people of the Word, so obviously words are important to them. They listen to words, encourage others with words, pray with words, and study ancient words to gather more insight into what the Word may mean. That means when someone promises something using words, that someone may believe, if they were sincere, that commitment is as good as doing it, regardless of whether or not that someone follows through. According to that thinking, a statement, “I’ll pray for you” or “I’ll be there to help” or “I will give $15 every month to missions” is something one says but there is no need to actually do it if one is sincere when it was said. That of course is wrong thinking, and today’s verse urges you to “make vows and fulfill them.” Where have you fallen into the “sincerity trap,” substituting and emphasizing intent rather than action? Where have you spoken a vow and not followed through? How can you make up for that flaw that is nothing short of deceptive and a lie? Once again, I am confronted by my actions not being consistent with my words. Help me, Lord, to be a person that keeps my words few and my follow up true.