-Devotion by Cayce Fletcher
One of my favorite movies is the original animated Beauty and the Beast. In one of the scenes, Cogsworth is explaining how to ‘woo’ a woman, and he says you do it with “flowers, chocolates, promises you don’t intend to keep.”
A promise is supposed to be something that is lasting. That you are committed to upholding. But, unfortunately, today, promises are viewed as disposable.
From the covenant of marriage, to the relationships between family members, to simple contractual obligations, everyone seems to be breaking their word. It’s almost like the human bent is to break our promise.
In today’s passage, we read of a similar story: God is reminding Israel of their covenant promise, but Israel refuses to listen. In Exodus (through Deuteronomy), God establishes the Mosaic covenant with His people. In Deuteronomy 30, he presents to them a choice: Choose life and keep the covenant, or choose death and reject it.
Jeremiah reminds the people of the covenant that was made in the wilderness, which the people continue to break (Jer. 11). God continually called them back, but the people continued to reject Him.
The old covenant has given way to the new covenant, which we are under today in Christ. The curtain is torn (Matt. 27:51), the old covenant is done away with, and through Christ we are able to enter into the Most Holy Place (Heb. 10:19). We don’t have to wear bells and fear dropping dead; instead, the very Spirit of God has come to dwell in us as His temple (1 Cor. 6:19).
The story of Israel reminds us just how easy it is for people to make promises to God and then slowly wander away from them. We can sing the songs, say the prayers, and profess our devotion—and then live as though those promises have little bearing on our everyday lives.
But God is not like us. He does not make “promises He doesn’t intend to keep.” Throughout Scripture, even as His people prove themselves unfaithful again and again, God remains faithful.
And because He has been faithful to us, we are called to be faithful to Him.
So take some time to consider the promises you have made. Are you living faithfully in your covenant relationship with God? Are you keeping your word to your spouse, your family, your church, and the people around you?
In a world where promises are increasingly treated as disposable, let us be people whose word means something—because we belong to a God who always keeps His.
Cayce Fletcher is a wife and mom of three. In addition to homeschooling and other ministry projects, she writes and podcasts at amorebeautifullifecollective.com about faith, motherhood, and theology.
Reflection Questions
- Why is keeping promises important? Why is it so hard to keep promises?
- How are covenants similar to and different from promises?
- What is so unique about the New Covenant that we have in Christ?
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for the New Covenant that we have in Christ—that we can enter into the most holy place and not be afraid. We praise you and honor you with our lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
