July 7

I Swear It’s True!

Anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it (Matthew 23:22).

Scripture: Matthew 23:16-22

Song: “How Great Thou Art”

At the substance abuse center where I worked in Reno, we conducted weekly, impromptu room searches. Mostly, we were looking for illegal drugs. And on a certain evening—no surprise—under one of the bunks, I found a bag of drug paraphernalia hidden inside a mattress.

The resident insisted the items weren’t his, saying, “As God is my witness, I swear that stuff ain’t mine. Somebody probably planted it to get me kicked out.” I assured him that he would not be evicted.

As a Christian outreach ministry, we wanted to help people with drug abuse problems, not turn them back out into the streets. However, I did tell this man that in regard to swearing an oath, it might be better if he were God’s witness, instead of the other way around.

The swearing in today’s verse doesn’t refer to cursing or using foul language. It means invoking the name of God as part of a pledge. According to Exodus 20:7, we must never misuse the name of the Lord like that, but neither should we employ it to prove our point, impress someone, or add a false sense of spirituality to our promises.

Dear God, please give me wisdom when making promises or pledges, especially when they involve Your name. May I always remember that You are listening too. I pray in the name of Jesus my Lord. Amen.