June 21, 2025 Devo

As I look back on my journey of faith, I often shake my head at how legalistic our churches were when I was growing up. I was told that going to movies, playing cards, dancing, and listening to rock music were all things Satan used to grease the slide that would send you straight to Hell. There was a pervasive sense of fear and guilt, accompanied by a constant feeling that we were never “good enough.” Little was shared about how to actually cultivate a RELATIONSHIP with God. It was about following RULES. It’s no wonder that many walked away from their faith.
When I read our verse today, I thought about how different it is supposed to be. Read the verse again out loud. Notice the JOY. “I will sing praises to your name.” That’s sure different from, “I’ll live in constant fear of you!” Now, notice the second part. “I fulfill my vows each day.” Not rules, VOWS. Vows speak of a Relationship. Vows speak of a covenant that two people enter into together. Vows flow out of a desire to be devoted to one another. That’s WAY different from rules!
What kind of vows would God want us to keep? Let me suggest just a few. Vow to love God and People. Love will take care of most all the rules. Jesus said that. I know we don’t do it perfectly, but love ought to be the main vow that we measure ourselves by every day. Did I love God and other people with all my heart? I know loving people can be particularly hard. But remember that you’re not always such a picnic yourself!
Vow to seek to know God. Relationships are only as deep as the knowledge we have of one another. God knows you COMPLETELY. How well do you know Him? He’s not asking you to become a Bible scholar or theologian. But our vow should be to seek Him every day to try to get to know His Heart, His Will, and His Ways. Get to know Him, and you’ll fall in love with Him even more!
Vow to stay. You’ll be tempted to give up on God. Life will get hard, tragedies will happen, and the answers to some of your prayers will be “No.” Some people bail on God when things get tough. There’s a reason why marriage vows say, “for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and health.” Ups and downs are a part of every marriage. They are also a part of every journey of faith. God will never bail on you, so don’t you bail on Him! Let go of the legalism. Make these vows instead. Love God and others. Seek to know Him. Stay. Live out these vows, and you can trade in your guilt, fear, and rules-filled religion for something much better: A relationship of Joy with One who vowed to love you before you were ever even born. Now that’s a God I want to get to know! That’s God’s Word for you today.