Promises and piecrust are made to be broken. – Jonathan Swift

Kalina and Shane Pavlovsky planned a beautiful wedding reception at The Barn at Scappoose Creek, Oregon, yet were very disappointed when out of the 40 guests who had RSVP’d, only five showed up. Kalina later told a reporter, “It was a feeling I can’t even describe, having to hold my smile and walk through…the biggest punch that I’ve ever felt.” 

Of the 40 guests who’d originally responded in the affirmative, Kalina said she’d made direct contact with at least 25 who had promised that they’d come. The couple’s disappointing reception entrance was caught on video, so she posted it onto TikTok, where it was viewed over 12 million times with more than 20,000 comments. Kalina shares that she posted it during a lonely moment, but she was also motivated to show off the venue itself, which was tastefully decorated with white lights and draping sheer fabric. She said, “It was just so beautiful, I thought someone has to see it.”

She expressed her hurt in her video post. “It just makes me think, like, why? What did we do? Am I that bad of a person? What did my husband ever do to deserve any of this? Why couldn’t we matter enough for people to show up?” They made the best of it but had to cancel plans for dances and even cutting the wedding cake. She summarized the pain of all with: “My hope is that people understand how important it is to show up.” 

It may not have been for a wedding, but nearly all of us have done it. We told someone we’d do something or do it by a certain time. But after we’ve given our word, circumstances change, or, as we sometimes say, “life gets in the way.” We become overwhelmed by other commitments. Suddenly the deadline arrives and we’ve failed to keep our commitment. 

When that happens, it’s time for one of those awkward apologies which usually begin something like this: “I know I said I would do it, but…” or “I really wanted to do it and I thought at the time I could, but…” 

Broken promises erode trust and hurt relationships. The recipient of the promise thinks: “I can’t rely on you.” Guess what? They’re right. The maker of the promise is caught in a trap, usually of their own making. In self-defense, they may react as if the receiver of the promise is being ungrateful or has unrealistic expectations. The hard truth is that we let each other down all the time. We don’t always do the things we’re supposed to do or say we would. Be honest. When was the last time that you broke a promise? Wonderfully, while you and I fail a lot, God never does. 

God always keeps His promises. 

“There has not failed one word of all His good promises…” (1 Kings 8:56). King Solomon said those words when he dedicated the temple. You and I could never make that statement about the promises of people or even ourselves. How many international agreements have been signed, only to be broken in record time? Treaties and contracts fail all the time and are easily broken; but the promises of God never fail.

But many won’t settle for God’s promises. Instead, demanding explanations or reasons, asking, “Why?” God doesn’t always give those, yet He does give us promises. Personally, I’m glad God works this way. Explanations and reasons can never accomplish in our hearts what His promises can accomplish if we trust Him and believe His promises.

Think about this. Suppose you fall down a flight of stairs and break an arm. You’re taken to the hospital, the arm is X-rayed, and a cast put on. If the doctor brings you the X-ray and explains how the bone is broken, does that heal your arm or make it feel better? Of course not! It’s when your doctor sets the bone and puts on the cast that healing begins to take place. Explanations and reasons may enlighten your mind, but they can never heal a broken heart. It takes the promises of God to do that.

Our Bibles overflow with God’s promises. Many think of the Bible as a book of rules, but the Bible is more of a book of promises. God has given us promises to meet every need of life. His Word is filled with promises about prayer, wisdom, daily strength and His provision for every need. 

Let me encourage you to read your Bible daily and mark the promises that God gives you in its pages. Each day I begin by reading my Bible. Day after day God gives me the promises I need for that day. Often when facing emergencies and special demands, I’ll turn to God’s Word to find those promises that I know will sustain me during tough times.

God loves us. One huge evidence of His love is the Bible. It’s filled with His promises. If you’ve been neglecting God’s promises, open your Bible and start getting acquainted with the promises of God. No matter what your problem/s, God has special promises for you.

So, often it’s not that God’s promises fail. It’s that we fail to claim them. God doesn’t answer every prayer, yet I am continually amazed at how when I pray and give a situation to the Lord, He handles it and answers my prayers. Often I must confess to Him that I failed because I either tried to fix it myself and neglected praying…or I just simply forgot to pray.

God is too wise and too powerful ever to make a promise that He is incapable of fulfilling. If He ever made such a promise, it would make Him a liar…and the Bible tells us that God cannot lie.

I love to read the Old Testament to see how God has kept His promises to His people through the ages. He made wonderful promises to Abraham about the Promised Land and having a son. For many years it seemed that His promises wouldn’t ever be fulfilled. But they were. God gave Abraham a son and gave the land of Canaan to the people of Israel.

God promised Moses that He’d care for the nation as they left Egypt. God kept every word of His promise. When the people were hungry, He fed them; when they were thirsty, He gave them water to drink. When their enemies attacked them, He protected the nation and delivered them. Not one of His promises failed!

It encourages me to read David’s life and see how God’s promises sustained him during his terrible trials. Read the psalms of David that grew out of his suffering and terrible experiences, and you’ll see that David learned to lean on the promises of God. And no matter where you turn in the Bible, you’ll find men and women of faith who had victory because they learned that God’s promises never fail. 

Please choose to trust God’s promises. Rest on His Word! They’ll never fail! God doesn’t keep some of His promises; He keeps all of them! And God always shows up!

God always keeps His promises!