PODCAST

Polar Bears and Promises

February 10th, 2023

Judges 11:29-40

I am an out loud processor. Talking about things helps me to navigate the best way to handle situations, to craft plans, or create new objectives. This is great in some ways, but it also gets me in trouble, especially with my children. Anytime I talk about anything as a possibility, they hear: “I promise we will do this!” For example, I say: “Maybe we could go to the zoo this summer and see the new polar bear.” They hear: “I promise we are going to the zoo tomorrow!”

Jephthah, in desperation, commits to God a sacrificial gift if only God will help the Israelites defeat the notorious Ammonites. God did His part and when Jephthah arrives home he realizes his foolish vow to God will now end in the death of his one and only daughter. He compounds his foolishness by blaming the girl for his impulsive promise.

Watch the ways you speak to others today. Are there promises you are making that cannot be fulfilled? How might God be encouraging you to change?

Author: Rachel Kuhn