Will You Follow Through?

~~~ Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~~~

 

~~~ Judges 11:29-39a ~~~ Psalm 40 ~~~ Matthew 22:1-14 ~~~

 

As a parent and a teacher I learned to never make
idle threats, especially to children.
If you tell a child something you had better
be prepared to follow through.

On the other hand, if you make grandiose threats or promises
and fail to follow through you will lose credibility.
Once that happens you will no longer be taken seriously.
When you are not taken seriously then the boundaries
will constantly be tested.

So the lesson is say what you mean and mean what you say.

If you commit to following the Lord, answering his call
then you need to follow through...
you need to keep your word.

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

 

I come to do your will...

Jephthah made a vow to the Lord
and it cost him the life of his only daughter.
His daughter made a promise
 after two months she would return to submit to her death.

The guest invited to the wedding feast were too busy.

They had no time to do the will of the Father.
They rejected their personal invitation to the big party.
  

 

It is clear that Jephthah was devastated at having made
such a vow to the Lord 

 At the time he wanted the Lord to bless him in his battles,
but he made a promise that cost him dearly.

An idle promise that he sadly did carry out.
His daughter could have run away and prevented her own death,
but she also honored her father's promise.

Luckily God does not expect us to make such foolish vows.
God would not ask us to sacrifice a loved one in response
 to answered prayer.
 

 Speak only those words which you truly believe.
Speak only those vows which you are willing to keep.
Think carefully before you make promises.

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Can you pray this verse and really mean it?
Can you do the will of God in the face of pain and suffering?

Blessings come
 in having sufficient grace...
mean what you say and say what you mean.