The Lord has kept the promise he made:  I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel.  1 Kings 8:20 NIV

When I think about it now, it seems really very silly.  But at the time, I could become undone just by walking out the school doors.  The bell would ring and everyone would race through the double doors.  (This was in the olden days when that happened.  Now children are dismissed from school in a much more orderly manner.)  Then I would panic.  Would the blue car be there?  Would my parents be there to pick me up?  They promised!

I remember how I would scan the parking lot, frantically searching, heart pounding, fists clenched around my Walton's lunch box.  (Yup... I was the cool kid!)  When I saw my dad in the blue car, I knew he'd fulfilled his promise.  He remembered to pick me up from school!  Picking me up had not slipped his mind; but if he was just a few minutes late, my childish imagination would wonder if he'd forgotten. 

The Lord never forgets us.  He's never late, He definitely never forgets us and His promises to us are always fulfilled.  Solomon's temple was a fulfillment of God's promises.  In 1 Kings Chapter 8 we see that it's "moving in day" at the temple.  The Lord had given Solomon a vision for building the temple and now it was time to consecrate (bless, dedicate) it.

There’s another promise in this chapter that is even more important than the temple.  In verse 27 Solomon asks, "But will God really dwell on earth?"  He was asking a question that was actually asked by his father, David.  God fulfilled that promise in the most miraculous, holy and loving way – by sending His Son, Jesus, to earth many years later.

As humans, it's hard to fulfill every promise we utter and we definitely get hurt when others break their promises to us.  But the Lord never breaks His promises.  We can always count on Him to be there for us.

People will break their promises to us and we will also break our promises to others.  Usually it happens unintentionally, but feelings still get bruised.  If this happens, just make sure you forgive the one who hurt you.  If you are the one who broke a promise, quickly try and repair the relationship by offering your apology.  Then offer another chance to extend and fulfill a promise.  

Thank You, Heavenly Father that we can always count on You to fulfill Your promises to us.  Sometimes we feel let down by others who have broken their promises to us, so we bring those hurts to You and lay them before You.  We ask You for healing, forgiveness and hope in those situations.  Please show us how to be godly in the way we fulfill our promises to others so that people may truly see Your Son in us.  Amen.