Debit Cards, Silence and Hasty Vows

It was strangely silent. The kids made scarcely a noise as we drove home. They knew I was troubled by not being able to find my debit card. I was distracted by the thoughts of potential fraudulent use.

The moment the car ignition was off, my daughter sprang to the front seat to hand me a note.  Words scrawled on the page explained both the hush and the tears running down her face.

“I told God I wouldn’t talk until you found your card or got a new one … I was trying to show Him my faith in Him … What if I can’t do it? … What have I done? … I’m scared.”

I quickly comforted her with a hug and encouraged her to remain silent for the time being. I insisted we’d look a little further for the card before we became concerned about days devoid of her beguiling laughter. (FedEx is fast, but to a young girl, that could be an eternity!) At the same time, I was careful not to discount her vow or dismiss her concern; a vow made to God can never be taken lightly.

My mental Rolodex whirred through the verses on making vows. The story of Jephthah is a heartbreaking account of a vow made foolishly and the resulting loss of a girl’s life (Judges 11:29-40). Jesus instructs us to swear no oaths at all but instead to keep our word with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ (Matthew 5:33-37). James tells us that we don’t have any control or knowledge over what the coming days hold, which affects our ability to fulfill any vows we make (James 4:14).

While Numbers 30 (verse 16) carries a provision that a father can release his daughter from a civil oath made in her youth, the vow my daughter made was to God. Her tears traced the unutterable truth with silvery streams: this wasn’t about debit cards or faith or being righteous by her own efforts. This was about God’s power. She feared she wouldn’t be able to keep it. And she revered Him enough to know the consequences could be profound.

Trusting that Jesus fulfilled all the laws of the Old Testament (Matthew 5:16-18), we counseled our daughter to not make rash-but-well-intentioned vows in the future, and urged her to confess having done so in this instance as disobedience to the words of Christ.

Her arms clutched me tightly and she tenuously loosed her tongue, still somewhat concerned about the would-be ramifications. Moments later, I found my debit card stashed in a thick pile of customer loyalty cards, where I’d inadvertently put it after making a purchase merely hours before. The lesson was not lost on me, and I know it will linger in her mind for a long time to come, embossed with fear and trembling.

Instead of raising our hands to swear an oath, may they be held high in praise of the Holy One who is faithful to all of His promises.

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