12 Steps To Heaven: #9, Keep Your Word

Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?...

He who swears to his own hurt and does not change…

Psalm 15:1, 4 (NKJV)

Actors, models, and talent for Christ:

  • Even when it was given thoughtlessly,

  • Even when you didn’t know it would hurt,

  • Even when nobody else understands,

  • Even when a better deal comes along,

  • And you realize you made a mistake…

Keep your word! Honor your original commitment!

Why?

  1. Because God says so,

  2. And because He does!

With Him (and others), a deal is a deal. Second-guessing ALWAYS invites trouble.

  • 'My Covenant I will not break, nor alter the Word that has gone out of My Lips' (Psalm 89:34).

  • 'Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make It good?' (Numbers 23:19).

  • 'Not one Word of all the good Words which the Lord your God spoke concerning you has failed; All have been fulfilled for you, not One of Them has failed' (Joshua 23:14).

  • 'For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished' (Matthew 5:18).

Remember:

  • Joshua was conned into a bad contract. Nevertheless, he chose to honor it.

  • David pledged himself to an evil king. Nevertheless, he chose to honor him…

  • AND… God honors those who honor their word.*

Meanwhile:

In today’s moral relativity, thoughtless words erupt with devilish speed, while social media takes them airborne:

  • 'I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the Day of judgment' (Matthew 12:36).

  • Our 'Faithless and perverse generation' (Matthew 17:17) talks big, walks small, and suffers by result.

Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
BE THE EXCEPTION!
'Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’ ' (Matthew 5:37).

Whatever you choose or agree to do… DO IT. Fulfill it– even if it hurts. The conclusion your Father guarantees?

The hurt dies, while the blessing multiplies.

But…

If you back out of any commitment (verbal or written)...
The blessing dies, and the hurt magnifies!

12 Steps To Heaven: #9, Keep Your Word (Part 11)

* Joshua fulfilled his pledge to the Gibeonites, although they tricked him into it: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=joshua+9&version=NKJV

* David refused to murder King Saul, although King Saul tried (repeatedly) to murder him: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+samuel+24&version=NKJV

NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players.’ Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings. Parts of this series are edits of a prior Carey Lewis Devotion series, first published in 2014.

Carey Arban