Deuteronomy: Fulfill Your Vows
- TJC
- Feb 7, 2023
- 2 min read
via TJC
You shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God, what you have promised.
- Deuteronomy 23:23
When a man makes a vow to commit his life to Jesus Christ, he voluntarily takes up a warrior's commission. US Military personnel take up a commission and swear an oath to ‘support and defend the Constitution,’ being formally asked to function by one who is in authority.
Disciples of Jesus go a step further. Along with vowing to ‘Love the Lord’ with all they have, they make an oath to ‘love their neighbor as themselves; to produce life by The One who is the Authority. In light of Jesus’s command that it is “By our words we shall be justified, and by our words shall we be condemned,” we should consider our commission.
I made a vow, entered into a covenant, and took up a commission to be a husband. By my words to Linda and before God, I voluntarily took up the tender warrior’s commissioning. But when the pressures of this life began to tear at the fabric of our marriage and Linda distanced herself from me…internal and external voices counseled me to consider abandoning my vows.
NO!
Men who do not take vows seriously have no firm rootage within themselves. They are mannequin boys seeking a better offer. A man’s commission must and will be tested by the pressure of such circumstances within marriage and other relationships.
Daily Battle Order:
Internal and external persecution will come because of your vows. Warriors, decide your path before the pressure arrives. Wait until the fight arrives, we will fail. Acknowledge the authority embedded within your vows. As a man speaks, so he is!
I have never taken the vow to be a husband so for me the closest thing I can think of is the public vow I made to follow Christ all my days when I was baptized. I am reminded of this vow when I struggle in the battle for faith and want to throw in the towel. I rejoice and thank God that He has provided the strength and grace I need to continue fighting and offering my body as a living sacrifice to Him every day.
Before I read this DBO, in my early quiet time, over coffee with Dad, this verse was on my mind as I pondered what kind of warrior am I? "Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle; My faithfulness and my fortress,
My stronghold and my savior,
My shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues my people under me." Psalm 144:1 Yes, I had to look it up because I couldn't remember where it was, I just know, like David, I was thanking God and praising Him for training me for the spiritual war I am in.
Good word today! My wife and I framed our wedding vows and they hang prominently in our home. Occasionally I see guests reading them, and it’s not uncommon for us to go over them together and give each other little report cards.
My vows to follow Christ were far less formal. There were no friends and family gathered to celebrate that day. I experienced salvation like crossing into a different country in the wilderness. I didn’t know exactly where the border was when I crossed it, so I can’t point to a particular day that I was saved. But as I continued I began to recognize that I was in a different place…a different kingdom…I gave thanks for God’s work…