Pay Your Vows

3. June 2008 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: 

Our text for this morning is: 

I Samuel 1:20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD. 21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. 22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever. 23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the LORD establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him. 24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young. 25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD. 27 For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: 28 Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.  

Today, I want to talk about keeping the vows that we make to God when we are in trouble.  As you can see from the text, Hannah conceived and had a male child.  Hannah keeps the child until it is weaned.  The day comes where Hannah has to make good on her vow.  The text says that Hannah went up to the house of the Lord and turns Samuel over to the priests to serve in the house of God.   

Hannah remembered the vow that she made when she was in trouble.  Have you ever been in trouble and told God, if you ever get me out of this one, I will do such and such and then when God gets us out, we forget to honor him in paying the vow that we spoke when we were in trouble.    Remember, we told HIM that we would be more faithful, that we would not return back to this situation, that we would walk away from certain people, change our environment, change our speech, try to do better, be kinder to one another and the list goes on and on of the things that we promised God  when we’re in trouble.  Soon as the trouble lifts, many of us forget our vows and for many of us, we don’t even attempt to honor them. 

The scriptures teach us that it is better not to make a vow than to make one and not pay it.  I believe that God is calling us to honor our word just as we want God to honor HIS.    For many of us our blessing could possibly be connected to our paying those vows.   For Hannah, the fate of Israel depended upon her paying her vow to the Lord.  Samuel would become a powerful prophet and judge of God’s people.  Eli gets a second chance to rear an heir to God’s house that would honor his name.  Samuel will be used to anoint the first King of Israel.  Yes, destiny was tied into Hannah paying the vow that she uttered when she was in trouble.     

Hannah remembered her vow and she paid it.  What about us.  What have we told God we would do and have not done?  I know for me there are several things that I promised God that I would do this year and already I see where I have gone off track.  This text is personal to me today; for there are some things that I need to take care of and get in order.  I feel like when I get those things in order, something supernatural will begin to break in my life.  I’m excited.    I hope this blessed you as it did me today.   

God Bless. 

Make sure you pray and read God’s word daily.

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