Ring of Promise

In our culture today, rings have meaning. A man and a woman exchange rings when they get married. People give expensive rings to people that are valuable to them. Etc, etc.

Beyond just the informal meaning of a ring, these precious circles hold a much deeper principle than a sign of whether someone is "taken" or not. Rings are a symbol of promise. When people get married, they are making a promise to one another. When a young girl wears a purity ring, it signifies a promise to stay sexually pure until marriage.

Wait now... if rings signify promise, then what exactly is a promise?
Well, I'm glad you asked.

Dictionary Definition:
prom·ise : noun/verb

1. A declaration that something will or will not be done, given, etc.

2. An express assurance on which expectation is to be based.

3. Something that has the effect of an express assurance; indication of what may be expected.

4. To commit oneself by a promise to do or give; pledge.

Notice anything interesting here? Well I do.

When I read these definitions, there is realistically only ONE person I can think of that fits ALL of these characteristics. Yeah, I know. I've promised people things (ie: to write on this blog more often=FAIL), I've been promised things many times... but in all reality people have let me down time and time again. Since I've never actually known a single human person who could actually keep their promises allllll the time (since it's literally impossible), I often find myself thinking that promises don't hold much meaning.

Sometimes the character of the promiser will make a difference, but ultimately a promise always seems flimsy to me. Something that, if broken, I'll need to just forgive and forget. Something that doesn't hold much weight. We use it as a simple word... a simple thought... we fling the word around as if it has become devoid of its original design. We have raped the word "promise" of its intended meaning by our culture's lightly held view of the word.

I know that's a strong thing to say... but think about it. If a promise meant something, we wouldn't have husbands cheating on their wives. We wouldn't have mothers deserting their children. We wouldn't have siblings, or parents, or spouses that ever walked away, let us down, or died unexpectedly. If the word "promise" meant something guaranteed, then people would never be able to break them.

Unfortunately, this whole promise problem has leaked into our churches as well. Not only are people not keeping their word, breaking promises left and right, but people are forgetting who DOES keep promises. Yeah, you heard me right... we (the church) are replacing God's perfect ability to follow-through with our own humanity. We think that somehow God is like us, and forgets to do what He said He would. Uh-uh. Not true.

The Bible has a LOT to say about promises. In fact, the word "promise" is found over 220 times in the NIV, with over 200 of them referring to God's promises. Take a look at just a few I pasted here:

God is not human, that he should lie,
not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill?

Numbers 23:19

Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. Joshua 21:45

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 1:20



The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 
2 Peter 3:9

Wow! Convicting, right?

We need to start living a life that counts on the promises of God... not doubting, but trusting in the absolute assurance that His character is faithful!

Now the question is:
If we (you & me) are the bride of Christ...
What will you do with the ring of promise God has given you? Will you squander it? Will you disown it? ... Or will you RELY upon it, knowing that His PROMISES are TRUE?