What Do We Promise God?

I am guilty of it, I know many others are guilty of it.....When we are at our deepest darkest time, and think we really know what we need, and promise to God..."If this (fill in the blank) then (fill in the blank.)  How many times do you keep your promise?  

Think about it. While you read this excerpt from The Bible.


1 Samuel 1:19-28

19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 
20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

Hannah Dedicates Samuel
21 When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to theLord and to fulfill his vow, 
22 Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”[b]

23 “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his[c] word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,[d] an ephah[e] of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of theLord at Shiloh. 
25 When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, 
26 and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 
27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 
28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

Now, a little bit of a back story, her husband Elkanah had another wife.  She bore him children.  In that day in time, that kind of help determine a woman's importance, how many children she had (Guess I would be a failure).  His other wife was having children left and right and giving Hannah a hard time.  She was sad, and wanting nothing more to have a child.  She prayed for this child and made a promise.  Re-read 27 and 28.

27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 
28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

Can you imagine the faith it took to fulfill that promise?  How is your faith?  Do you hold up your end of the bargain?

-EAT

*disclaimer - I am in no way perfect, and not saying I am!  I have been hungry for some "meaty" time with God, and writing my own devotionals.  I really needed theses words, I figured someone else could benefit and decided to share.  I have decided to share my thoughts, enjoy, take to heart, do whatever you want with it.