So many promises!  Last year I took a flight from DFW to Birmingham to visit some of my wife’s family.  While en route, I glanced through the flight magazine and noticed the many advertisements and promises from businesses and companies. A few of those included…
“Live where legends play.”
“Want to know where you stand in the bigger picture?”
“Get the royal treatment!”
“Twice as nice.”
“The essence of beauty.”
“Savor the finer things in life.”
“Numerous awards and recognitions.”
“It’s like steroids for your career.”
“Finally, you can have it all.”
Promises are disguised in culture. In other words, promises such as the ones above are culture specific. As such, they have different meanings depending upon one’s cultural frame of reference.
For instance, the promise “Get the royal treatment” comes interpreted in the eyes of the receiver. Royal treatment for one person may be average, while treatment for another may mean treatment for only a servant.
With the above in mind, promises are only as good as they are able to meet the receiver’s expectations.
Miscommunication and misunderstanding occur when one party promises something that does not meet the expectations of the other party.
I am thankful that our Lord God, Immanuel, never leaves nor forsakes us. Even when our health fails, our Lord and Savior walks besides us. Or, when we struggle financially, He knows our needs. Jesus Christ, Immanuel, walks with us, empathizing with us no matter what we may face this year 2025.
However, the world offers many empty promises!