The photo below of the National Capitol was taken by my daughter when she went on a school trip to Washington D.C. in 2012. Federal governments take our taxes with an obligation to use it wisely but all governments around the world are in debt. They’ve put themselves and the people they serve in a big hole that gets deeper and deeper.

This day with God, we are reading Numbers 30 about obligations. The Israelites were obligated to keep vows made with God and there were regulations as to how a person could break them. They took it seriously and had a responsibility to speak up if things did not seem right. A man was obligated to a vow or pledge made to the Lord. A young woman’s vow or pledge could be nullified by her father and a married woman’s vow or pledge could be nullified by her husband.

National leaders need to be held to account in how they handle their obligations to the people they serve. Politicians make promises that they know could never come about in order to get more votes. Their promises hurt a lot of people and in the end, it hurts themselves because the people loose trust in their ability to come through. If a business were to consistently be in debt, they would go bankrupt and the natural economic cure would be that a well-run company would take its place in the market place.

This day with You Lord, we’ve learned that our obligations are important and we need to keep our word. You have high standards and that is a good thing. You give us the Holy Spirit, grace, and the power to help. Each day, we grow toward a higher standard by studying Your Word, prayer, and living out each day doing our best at meeting our obligations. Amen.