Well good morning and welcome to another edition of the Morning Devotional. Today is Monday, February 22, 2021. This is edition number 15 of season 3 of the Morning Devotional. We are currently working through the wisdom of Solomon as we look at various themes and topics that are highlighted by the book of Proverbs. This morning we're going to consider Proverbs 28 and verse 20 as we look at the subject of integrity and honesty, something that every Christian should be very concerned with as they go about their daily lives. But let's pray together first and then we'll look at this verse briefly together this morning. Let's pray. Father, now as we come to your word, we come with the admission that we sit under it, that it is sharper than any two-edged sword, it is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of our own hearts. And we would pray that as we meditate and think upon these matters this morning that you would give to us your grace, that we would Be men and women and boys and girls of integrity and honesty in our daily lives. We do pray that you'd help us, that you'd give us your spirit, that we would understand your word. We do pray for your people, some who are struggling with various concerns and issues, sickness and health and financial matters and many other issues that are part and parcel of living in a fallen world. We pray for grace and help and strength that your spirit would attend to these matters to give to all of us what we stand in need of. And we do stand in need of your word. Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from your mouth. And so we would pray that you would speak to us even now we pray for Christ's sake. Amen. We're going to be considering Proverbs 28 and verse 20 this morning. We read, A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. Now there are a number of issues here in this verse. We have the matter that we're going to take up this morning about the faithful man who will abound with blessing. We have the matter of those who hasten to be rich, and we'll deal with that kind of a topic at a later date, a future edition of the Morning Devotional. But I do want to just briefly talk about this question of honesty and integrity. A faithful man We know that as Christians we have been recipients of the faithful one, the Lord Jesus Christ, who came and accomplished everything needful for us. He did that for our good, for our sake. He became poor that we might be rich. He labored and served and suffered that we might inherit the inherit the blessings that come from being united to Him. He was faithful in all of His dealings with mankind. As He went about His business each and every day, as He labored and ministered, He demonstrated first His faithfulness to His Father in heaven, seeking to bring Him glory and honor. not only with his actions, but also with his words. He was faithful to those to whom he came to reclaim, to those he came to redeem. That is you and me. He was mindful of our plight and our fallenness. And as he labored, he did so in a faithful way that he might secure then our forgiveness, demonstrating his Father's love for us in that he went and served and died and was buried, raised from the dead indeed, and now faithfully continues to minister, mediating for us at his Father's right hand. All of these things are true and they're not new, I'm sure, to any of you. These are not new things to hear. But as we think upon the faithfulness of the Savior, we are then reminded of our need as followers of Christ to be faithful people. Men and women, boys and girls, who behave with honesty and integrity in all that we do and say. Now this is a very broad subject, indeed it covers many different aspects in different areas. I do want to zero in just really on one particular aspect of which Christians should be very mindful. And it is one, as a pastor, that I regularly face. When I say regularly, I've had occasion to deal with this on more than one occasion. And that is, of course, the vows that we take as Christians to our local church. As members of the church, especially within the realm of Presbyterianism, but Frankly, I think regardless of your denominational affiliation, there ought to be some kind of public statement of which you vow to do certain things as a member of that church. And within the Presbyterian Church in America, there are five vows that members take that they would then adhere to and follow, and they do so before the Lord. The first one is, of course, that they acknowledge themselves to be a sinner in the sight of God, justly deserving His displeasure, save God's sovereign mercy. They vow to live as becomes followers of Christ. They vow to submit to the governance of the church, to study its purity and peace. They vow a number of things before God and His people. But how often, my friends, do members of the church just so easily and so wantonly set apart those vows when convenience strikes itself, when convenience affords itself. Instead of being men and women of their word, they turn away from those things that they said, they professed and offered before God and frankly bring shame and reproach upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm reminded even as I speak of the warnings that are offered to us in the book of Ecclesiastes. And Ecclesiastes speaks about, of course, many different issues, but it does speak in chapter 5 to this matter of taking vows and being men and women of of integrity. We read in Ecclesiastes 5, "...guard your steps when you go to the house of God, to draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know what they are doing, that they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty, to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore, let your words be few, for a dream comes with much business and a fool's voice with many words. When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity. But God is the one you must fear." And here, of course, we have the wisdom being offered about paying a vow. When you make a vow, when you say you're going to do something, you do that which you say. I think I made reference to this psalm in an earlier edition pertaining to this particular issue. In Psalm 15 we read about the man who will sojourn in the tent of the Lord, who will dwell on his holy hill. In verse 4 we read, he who swears to his own hurt and does not change. And so as we consider this proverb this morning, as we consider the opening line of Proverbs 28 in verse 20, we're again reminded of the need for a man who names the name of Christ to be faithful. And a faithful man will abound with blessing. Now, faithfulness does not depend upon the circumstance. Faithfulness is an abiding quality that undergirds our lives. So when we say we're going to do something, we do it. When we make a vow or a commitment or a promise to somebody else, we fulfill that promise insofar as God enables us. insofar as providence allows. We don't make excuses. We don't look for ways to get out of what we said we would do. We simply do that which we say. And when we do that, we are, of course, emulating not merely the Lord Jesus Christ, but also our God in heaven. That great hymn of the faith comes to mind, Great is Thy Faithfulness. And indeed God has been very faithful to us. He has made promises to his people and he intends on keeping them and he has kept them and will keep them for all eternity. And so how much more than you and I, we must be people of our word. We must be men and women of sound integrity with our words, with our actions. We must, as we seek to follow Christ, be men and women. who keep their word and fulfill their obligations that they have committed to fulfilling. Well, I trust these times are a blessing for you. I hope they are. And if you have any questions for me, you can leave me a note or a comment. The information is there before you on the screen. And so until the Tuesday edition, when we begin to look at the subject of friendship, as taken from the book of Proverbs, I trust the Lord will help you and guide you this day. And may He strengthen you that you might serve Him faithfully in all that you do. God bless.