An encouragement to keep on keeping promises.

I am still plugging through Max Lucado's "Facing Your Giants" and while I have a book "on deck" to read, I would love to hear from anyone their recommended reading. In the meantime, I will again post what I am learning from this great book. First of all, the chapter is called "tough promises," so I knew that the subject matter might be, well, tough. The entire book is about the life of David. David is now king, and he remembers a promise he made to his best friend, Jonathon. In 1 Samuel 20, the story of a covenant between David and Jonathon is told. David vowed, at that time, to keep his covenant, even with Jonathon's family, should he die. The covenant was the "covenant of friendship." David found Jonathon's son, Mephibosheth (now why didn't Jen and Brad use that name for one of their boys?). This boy was lame from being injured while escaping the attack that killed Jonathon and Saul. He was just a child, and David brough him to the palace and cared for him. In later years, Meph sides with the enemy during a rebellion led by David's son, Absolom. David gets this story from a servant namd Ziba. When David sees Meph again, he insists that he was not truly siding against him, that Ziba abandoned him. Lucado explains that David didn't question him further, the truth didn't matter, because the was going to take him back anyway. Why? because "God sets the standard for covenant keeping." Deuteronomy 7:9 reminds us that God keeps His covenants.

Your eternal life is covenant caused, covenant secured, and covenant based....God keeps His promises. Shouldn't God's promis-keeping inspire yours? ...Looming in your past is a promise you made. May I urge you to do all you can to keep it?...Why should you? SO you can understand the depths of God's love. When you love the unloving, you get a glimpse of what God does for you. ...when you do what is right, even when you have been done wrong..you do what God does every single moment...When you love liars, cheaters and heartbreakers, are you not doing what God has done for us? Pay attention to and take notes on your struggles. God invites you to understand His love...Illustrate stubborn love. Incarnate fidelity. God is giving you a Mephibosheth-size chance to show your children...what real love does.

Max Lucado "Facing your giants"