They didn’t show up and didn’t let anyone know. We sat there for a good 15 minutes while we waited for the person who was supposed to lead the meeting. No one knew where they were. We tried calling and only got answering machines. Finally, we just decided to go ahead without them and did the best we could.
I was mad and frustrated. This was the regular monthly meeting of this group. People prepared items for discussion and approval. So I called this person the next day. They answered the phone sheepishly. I asked where they were and what happened? They said they had to do groceries and were too tired at the end of it to come to the meeting. I was not impressed. The least they could have done was called and let us know. So I expressed my disappointment to this person and expressed the requirements in the future should they be unable to attend a meeting. Thankfully, they learned from this and it never happened again.
When someone doesn’t keep their word, it can hurt, frustrate or disappoint us. A parent does not show up to watch their kid’s game. A spouse forgets that special day even when they promised it would be different this year. An employee that promised to stop being late is late again. A boss just keeps putting off that meeting or item that is very important to us. A teenager calls and lies to their parents about their location and present company. When this happens, trust is broken and relationships harmed.
How different when we meet someone who keeps their word consistently. But how about knowing someone who never breaks their word? Psalm 105:8 says this – “The Lord remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded for a thousand generations.” The Lord keeps His Word forever. He makes no allowances for Himself to break His Word. He also has a history of covenant keeping. He has been faithful to His Word for a thousand generations. Sometimes we might have trouble keeping our word for a thousand seconds.
So if you have some doubts about God or His concern for you today, remember His persistent faithfulness to His word and you.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’” (Lamentations 3:22-24)