The Power of a Promise

By


Queen E. F. Phillips

My friend, Marsha did everything she could to make her husband happy. But instead he became more distant and coldhearted. His glaring dark eyes pierced her soul like arrows tossed at a dartboard every time he looked at her. The verbal abuse became unbearable. His raging insults caused her pint-size self-esteem to evaporate like boiling water.


Marsha chose not to attend our last girls’ night out. She confided in me that she only felt worse after our gatherings. Seeing how happy we were in our relationships made her feel disconnected. As her devoted friends, we promised to encourage and support her. We even had the audacity to promise her things would get better, which was totally out of our control. For months, Marsha listened to our advice knowing we could not make good on our promises. Our advice offered no real solution. Her mate’s broken promises ripped her heart apart and left her drained. Unfortunately, we added to her heartbreak. Obviously, we made a promise we could not keep.


Finally, Marsha resolved that she needed to try something else. She wanted to hear what God had to say about her situation. She decided to spend some time in prayer. She wanted answers. She was desperate, even willing to face the truth no matter how painful it might be. She was ready for a life-changing encounter that her grandmother told about so many times.


She meditated on First Corinthians 13:4-8a, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoice with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.”


She prayed, “What happened that caused love to fail in my marriage?”

In the stillness of the early morning hours before dawn, Marsha sensed warmth as if a blanket covered her chilled body. Tears of joy replaced her sorrow, accompanied by a symphony of peace, faith, hope, and love. An unexplainable calmness erased fear and despair as she listened attentively to the small still voice within.

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)


Marsha awoke inspired to believe in the power of promise. She had heard this scripture quoted a jillion times by her mother. Marsha remembered the powerfulness of this promise, and how it transformed the mindset of her mother during times of adversity. Miraculously, it gave her strength to stand firm and believe that good wins over evil. It gave her fresh hope for a brighter future. The power of this promise provoked a level of faith that empowered her to embrace every challenge with expectancy and purpose.

Life comes with a long list of challenges— broken relationships, painful pasts, fears, depression, tragedy, and bad decisions. But may I remind you of one thing? It is difficult to carry our challenges in overstuffed backpacks depending solely on the promises of others to ease our burdens. No doubt, family and friends would love to help just as we tried to help Marsha. But none of us possess the power to revive a broken spirit, and heal a wounded heart caused by an onslaught of broken promises.


Perhaps now would be the perfect time to try an experience like my friend. It could inspire you to believe in the power of promise. Couldn’t you use the rest?