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Making Promises to God!

Matthew 20
20. Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, brought them to Jesus and respectfully asked a favor.
21. "What is your request?" he asked.
She replied, "In your Kingdom, will you let my two sons sit on two thrones next to yours?"22. But Jesus told her, "You don't know what you are asking!"
Then he turned to James and John and asked them, "Are you able to drink from the terrible cup I am about to drink from?"
"Yes," they replied, "we are able!"
23. "You shall indeed drink from it," he told them. "But I have no right to say who will sit on the thrones next to mine. Those places are reserved for the persons my Father selects."
24. The other ten disciples were indignant when they heard what James and John had asked for.
LB

The mother of James and John was totally blind to one of the main purposes of Jesus in coming to earth, which was to suffer.

If she had understood His true purpose, she may instead have tried to use her influence to turn her sons away from following Jesus altogether, because suffering and public humiliation was not the route she had in mind for her sons!

It is amazing how confidently the mother and sons answered Jesus' question (verse 22) when they had no idea how His earthly life would end!

Many people make rash promises to Jesus, but when they find out what price they have to pay, they want to take back their pledge.

The first apostle to be martyred was this same James (see Acts 12 : 1). Many years later, John was exiled to the island prison of Patmos after, it is told, he was boiled in oil. They did indeed drink from the cup of suffering that Jesus Christ drank from and in this way they kept the pledge they made to the Lord that day!

But we must not think they paid this price grudgingly, because by the time the day of Pentecost came and they begin preaching the good news, the purpose of God for their lives had so overtaken them, that they were happy to pay any price to follow Jesus!

Have you made a pledge to the Lord? Are you really willing to keep it?
Don't back out. Our heavenly Father is the only person you can make promises to without reservation, because He will never take advantage of you in any way.

Prayer:
Father, today I want to commit myself to Your purposes for me, no matter the cost I must pay.
Thank You for giving me adequate preparation for each step I must take as I walk through life with You.
I don't know what the future holds, but I know that I am safe with You and that Your plans for me are good,
in Jesus' name,
Amen.