April 4
Keeping
Promises
"It is better to make no promise at all than to make a promise and not keep it."
Ecclesiastes 5:5 (NIrV)
Pam sat in the quiet courtroom, her hands trembling as the judge read the declaration of bankruptcy. Her heart sank with every word. This wasn’t how she had envisioned her life. She had once promised herself—and everyone around her—that she would build a successful business and never let money control her. But now, she was drowning in debt, her dreams shattered.
It started small. Pam’s boutique was doing well, but she wanted to expand faster than her budget allowed. She took out loans, confident her growing success would cover them. Then came the credit cards for new equipment, followed by promises to vendors and employees that she couldn’t keep.
Pam hated disappointing people, so she would smile and assure everyone, “I’ve got it under control.” But the truth was, her finances were a tangled mess. Bills piled up, and the stress became unbearable. Her nights were sleepless, and her days were consumed with shame.
The final blow came when Pam’s accountant sat her down. “Pam,” he said gently, “there’s no way out of this but bankruptcy. I know this isn’t what you want, but it’s necessary.”
The shame was crushing. Pam felt like a failure—not just as a business owner, but as a person. She had made promises to her employees, her vendors, and even to herself, and she had broken every one of them.
That evening, Pam sat alone in her empty boutique, tears streaming down her face. “God, how did I get here?” she whispered. She reached for her Bible, desperate for comfort. Her eyes fell on Ecclesiastes 5:5: “It is better to make no promise at all than to make a promise and not keep it.”
Pam realized that her good intentions had led her to make promises she couldn’t fulfill. She had put her trust in her own abilities instead of seeking wisdom from God. In that moment, she prayed, “Lord, I’ve been so focused on doing everything my way that I forgot to trust You. Help me to rebuild—not just my finances, but my heart. Teach me to honor You in every decision I make.”
The journey wasn’t easy, but Pam began to rebuild her life one step at a time. She sought financial counseling, made amends with those she had let down, and leaned on God for guidance. With time, she found peace—not in wealth or success, but in knowing that she was walking in integrity and trusting God to lead her.
Prayer:
Lord, we often make promises with the best intentions, but we forget to seek Your wisdom first.
Forgive us for the times we’ve overstepped, trusted in our own strength, or let others down.
Like Pam, help us to rebuild with humility and integrity.
Teach us to honor You in our words and actions, and to trust in Your provision for our lives.
Thank You for Your grace that meets us in our failures and guides us toward a better path.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
