Keeping an oath to God

Scripture:

1 Samuel 1:11  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.

verses 19-20 ... the Lord remembered her plea, and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, "I asked the Lord for him."

verse 27 "I asked the the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life."

Observation:

In the Bible, vows were very important. So, when God gave Hannah the son she had prayed for, she kept her vow and gave her son to the Lord. And when she gave him to the Lord she didn't just baptize him or do some religious ceremony, she took her son to Eli who was the priest at the time, and left him there. Her son Samuel lived with Eli and helped him in the Tabernacle. Hannah only saw her son once a year when her and her husband went to give their annual sacrifice. Because of Hannah's faithfulness the Lord blessed her with three more sons and two daughters.

Application:

Ecclesiastes 5:4-7 says: When you make a promise to God, don't delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. Don't let your mouth make you sin. And don't defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved. Talk is cheap like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, forgive me for all the times that I make promises and don't keep them. Forgive me for all the times I have made vows to you and not kept them. Help me to be a man of my word, help me to fulfill the vows I have made to my wife. Help our church to raise the money we need for the new building, and help us to follow through on the vows we have made when you grant us our request. Heal your people who are sick, and help those who are struggling financially. In Jesus name, Amen!