A Vow Is A Very Solemn Thing

I want to speak to you this morning about a vow.
A vow according to the Oxford Dictionary is a solemn promise.
It is to dedicate to someone or to something.
Many years ago, in a terrible drought situation on our farm, I made a vow to The Lord.
I said, “Lord, if You pull us out of this drought, I will preach the gospel for the rest of my life.”
And that has happened since then.
What about you today?
You know in the old days, a man would come and he would buy a farm from another man on a “gentleman’s agreement.”
One handshake and the deal was done.
Another man might come the next day and offer him twice the amount of money for the same farm. With no documents signed, the honorable farmer would say, “I am sorry. You are too late. Yesterday, I sold my farm on a gentleman’s agreement.”
God expects you and I to keep our vow.
A vow cannot be broken. We need to keep our side of the agreement.
Hebrews Chapter 13 and verse 5:
The Lord promised us that He will never leave us and He will never forsake us and that is good news.
We need to keep our side of the vow.
I want to tell you a story that is probably the saddest story for me in the Old Testament.
It comes from the Book of Judges, Chapter 11, and verse 30. It speaks about a great, mighty man of valor, by the name of Jephthah. Jephthah, Chapter 11, and verse 30.
“And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, 31 then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
The Lord gave him the victory and as he came home, who came out of the door?
His only child, a young, virgin girl! He was absolutely devastated. He told her in verse 35: “ I have given my word to The Lord and I cannot go back on it.”
He carried out his vow.
My dear friend, we need to understand that a vow is a very solemn thing. Whatever you have vowed to The Lord, keep it because He keeps His side of the agreement always.