12 I WILL FULFILL MY VOWS TO YOU, O GOD, AND WILL OFFER A SACRIFICE OF THANKS FOR YOUR HELP.
13 For you have rescued me from death;
you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light."
Psalm 56:12,13 (NLT)
• The way and the door to God the Father is Jesus Christ (John 10:7,9; 14:6).
- No one can access God through other means apart from Christ Jesus: "AND THERE IS SALVATION IN NO ONE ELSE; FOR THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN AMONG PEOPLE BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation]” (Acts 4:12 Amps).
- That being said, salvation in Christ Jesus does not make one irresponsible in the Kingdom. Becoming intimate with God, as an example, demands a price.
- There are rules, or principles, or ways, through which God can and should be related with.
- In receiving from God, a number of things are expected from the believer concerned; Although salvation is free, because it has been paid for, through Jesus Christ's substitutionary death.
- Through the Bible, the Word of God, we could learn some things in the lives of those who walked with God and how they got their needs met: "FOR WHATEVER THINGS WERE WRITTEN BEFORE WERE WRITTEN FOR OUR LEARNING, THAT WE THROUGH THE PATIENCE AND COMFORT OF THE SCRIPTURES MIGHT HAVE HOPE" (Romans 15:4 NKJV).
- Vow is one of the principles through which whoever is walking with God can receive from Him (Job 22:27; Psalm 61:5; 66:13; Jonah 1:16).
- Some had considered vows not to be needed as If it was not found written in the Bible. Some wanted to believe since God could not be bribed, or cajoled to do a thing for one; what then is the need of promising or telling Him of doing one thing or another for Him before one's prayers are granted.
- A vow is not a way of trying to bribe God, but rather a commitment, and a way of Honouring God with what you have.
- Someone who made a Vow is reverencing God with what he or she has. Such is making a Sacrifice. He or she is saying to God, through whatever you want to bless me with, I would do this, or that, as a sacrifice, or a pledge, or a way of acknowledging you, and a gratitude in advance for whatever you wanted to do for me.
- A vow moves God to do, and It expedites whatever He had intended to do in a person's life. When you vowed, you provoked God's help. You committed God to work on the matter of your life.
- If a need arises in your life, or you are faced with challenges of life, and you had exhausted all the spiritual principles you know to do; make a Vow to God, which is also known as a covenant, that, If the need is met, or you are delivered from the predicament, so and so thing would be done by you for Him and His Kingdom (1 Samuel 1:11).
- Hannah, the mother of Samuel, explored this when she had a delay in having a child. She did promise, If God should give her a male child, the child would be given back or be dedicated to God, to be used as His servant: "AND SHE MADE THIS VOW: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, IF YOU WILL LOOK UPON MY SORROW AND ANSWER MY PRAYER AND GIVE ME A SON, THEN I WILL GIVE HIM BACK TO YOU. HE WILL BE YOURS FOR HIS ENTIRE LIFETIME, AND AS A SIGN THAT HE HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO THE LORD, HIS HAIR WILL NEVER BE CUT" (1 Samuel 1:11 NLT).
- A Vow should not be made rashly, without a careful thought and consideration. Whatever you would not be able to do, that is, the vow you would not be able to redeem, do not vow or promise to do It (Ecclesiastes 5:4,5).
• Making a Vow, a pledge, or a commitment, is a way of showing or telling God that you are not selfish, neither are you engrossed or occupied completely with the thinking of your own needs alone:
3 DON'T BE SELFISH; DON'T TRY TO IMPRESS OTHERS. BE HUMBLE, THINKING OF OTHERS AS BETTER THAN YOURSELVES. 4 DON'T LOOK OUT ONLY FOR YOUR OWN INTERESTS, But TAKE AN INTEREST IN OTHERS, TOO. 5 YOU MUST HAVE THE SAME ATTITUDE THAT CHRIST JESUS HAD" (Philippians 2:3-5 NLT).
- You care and think about God, His Kingdom, and other fellow believers or humans also—you should not be selfish in your relationship with God. You should at the time of need always think of what you can do to help others who are also in one need or another.
- That, in the place of serving others, meeting the needs of others; the Believers, the Needy, or about the expansion of God's Kingdom; your own needs also would be met (1 Timothy 6:17-19; Hebrews 13:16).
- Whenever a need arises in your life, think of what to do, what to give, to God, His work, or those who might also be in one need or the other, or how you could help someone, another person, in a predicament.
• When you wanted to ask anything from God, always ask Him, Is there a price to pay? Or What would you want me to do God, in order to receive what I am asking for?
- This is not a way of bribing God. Someone who wants to give to God in order to have his or her needs met, is not bribing God. Such a person is Honouring God with what he or she has.
- Although, the Heart with which you brought a gift, or whatever you brought, matters to God: "THE SACRIFICE OF THE WICKED IS AN ABOMINATION; HOW MUCH MORE WHEN HE BRINGS IT WITH WICKED INTENT!" (Proverbs 21:27 NKJV).
- If you brought a gift with a wrong Heart, a heart or intention to use God, as in, you are not really interested in walking with Him, all you wanted, and the reason you had made or brought the Vow, or the gift, or whatever, is for you to receive solutions to whatever the problem or challenge your are having.
- God might not honour such a gift, or Vow, or pledge. And you might not receive any answer to your prayers or requests.
TO BE CONTINUED
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
- Should there be any ailment in your body, I declare you healed now in the mighty name of Jesus.
- And the Affliction will not rise again in Jesus' name.
Peace!
STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. Ask that He will write your name in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).
- If you took the steps As highlighted above, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!