Keeping Your Word When It Costs

Have you ever made a promise that you later regretted because it became really difficult to keep? Maybe you promised to help a friend move on your only day off, or you committed to a project that ended up being way more work than you thought. It is in those moments—when it is inconvenient to stay true—that our real character is revealed.

In 2 Samuel 21:7, we see this kind of integrity in action: “But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD’S oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul..” King David was in the middle of a national crisis. A famine was ravaging the land, and to stop it, justice had to be served for a broken covenant from years prior. It would have been politically easy for David to hand over all of Saul’s descendants to solve the problem, but he stopped to remember a personal promise he made to his best friend, Jonathan.

The Bible says David chamal Mephibosheth, which means he had deep compassion and chose to withhold harm. He did this because of a sacred shebuwah, or a solemn oath made before God. This reminds me of Psalm 15:4, which describes a person of integrity as someone who keeps their word even when it hurts. Just as God is unfailingly faithful to us, David chose to be faithful to his word, even when it was complicated.

Application

Today, take a look at the commitments you have made to the people in your life. Is there a promise you have been tempted to slide out of because it is inconvenient or annoying? Choose to follow David’s lead. When we keep our word, we reflect the heart of a God who never breaks His promises to us.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for being a God who always keeps His word. Help us to be people of integrity who honor our commitments, even when it costs us something. Amen.