Vows Made in Trouble

Psalm 66 offers deeper insight into making vows to God. While the author of the Psalm is unknown, the purpose of the Psalm is clear. It is a psalm of praise and thanksgiving to God, focusing on His wonders and faithfulness. In the middle of the praises, the author makes this personal declaration:

I will come to your temple with burnt offerings
    and fulfill my vows to you—
Vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
    when I was in trouble.
I will sacrifice fat animals to you
    and an offering of rams;
    I will offer bulls and goats.

The Psalmist offers a personal proclamation prompted by his prior praises of God’s wonders, faithful care for creation, and His refining tests of His people. The author emphatically states he will fulfill the vows he made to God and offer sacrifices to God.

I want to focus on how the Psalmist describes his vows “Vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.“

Isn’t this so true – even about us today? When do we often find ourselves making promises to God? During times of distress and trouble. We say things like this to God:

🤞 Help me find a job and I will X.

🤞 Deliver me from my enemies and I promise to X.

🤞 Heal me or a friend/family member and I vow to X.

🤞 Save me from this situation and I pledge to X.

In times of trouble, we become acutely aware of our deep need for God, and in an effort to elicit a response—perhaps a quicker or more favorable one—we often attach promises and vows to our pleas for help. This appears to be something mankind has done with God throughout history.

The Psalmist clearly states that some of the vows he made to God were promised during times of trouble. However, he emphatically declares his intention to fulfill them. It doesn’t matter that the trouble has passed; in fact, it provides even greater motivation to fulfill the vows. God’s faithfulness and care drives the Psalmist to WANT to keep his promise to God. How could he not after what all God has done for him?

We should approach the vows we make to God in times of trouble or distress with the same attitude—fully committed to keeping our promise. At times, we allow the situation to influence the type of promise we make. Perhaps we’ve promised something difficult to fulfill, vowed to do something we’re uncomfortable with, or even pledged our lives to God. Yet, once the trouble passes, we may excuse our overcommitment, attributing it to the intensity of the situation. Psalm 66 teaches us it doesn’t matter – we made a promise. We should try our best to keep it.

The vows we make to God in times of trouble are still vows, and we must fulfill them. Have you made a vow during a time of trouble? If so, be sure to keep it. If not, remember that when that time comes, whatever you promise to God, He still expects you to honor it. #KeepYourWord.