Bible Verse
Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ (NIV)
Here, you’ll know & learn:
・Verse Context
・Key Words
・References from Other Verses of the Bible
・Main Message
・How to Apply This Verse in Your Life
・How to Further Study the Verse
Most of us have started something we didn't finish — a plan we made, a promise we gave, a commitment we quietly walked away from when it got too heavy. What we don't always stop to think about is who was standing next to us when we dropped our end of the load. This devotional and prayer will help us take an honest look at what our unfinished commitments do to the people around us, and ask God to help us become people whose word can be trusted.
Short Devotional
There is something about making a promise that feels good in the moment — whether it's agreeing to help someone financially, pledging toward a cause, or telling a friend they can count on you. But a yes we never follow through on doesn't just disappear; it lands on somebody else, and that somebody has to figure out what to do with the weight we left behind. Over time, the gap between what we promised and what we delivered becomes a wall between us and the people we care about most.
Jesus made it clear that the life He calls us to is not one we can step into halfway, and He used the image of a builder who runs out of the will — or the plan — to finish to show us exactly why. When we say yes too quickly, borrow without a real plan to repay, or make promises we know we can't keep, we don't just hurt ourselves — we take something from the people who trusted us. Let this be the moment we bring all of that honestly before God.
Let's Pray
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being with me right now. I come before You with an honest heart. You see every promise I have made — every commitment I started and every one I walked away from when things got hard.
I know my choices don't just affect me — the people who counted on me felt the weight of those unfinished things too.
Forgive me for the pledges I let go silent. Forgive me for the debts I pushed aside as if they belonged to someone else.
Forgive me for telling people they could lean on me, then pulling away when it became inconvenient.
Lord, I don't want to be someone whose word means nothing. Your Word calls me to sit down, count the cost, and finish what I start. Help me do that.
Give me courage to face the commitments I've been avoiding. Give me wisdom to only promise what I can truly deliver.
Give me a heart that takes other people's trust seriously, because You take it seriously.
Thank You for being a God who always finishes what He starts. I trust You to faithfully help me do the same.
In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Journaling Prompts
Think of a promise or commitment you made that you never fully followed through on. How do you think it affected the person on the other end — emotionally, financially, or relationally?
Is there a financial responsibility — a debt, a pledge, or an agreement — that you have been avoiding thinking about? What has kept you from facing it honestly?
What is one concrete step you could take this week to honor a commitment you have been putting off? What do you need from God to make it happen?
The people in our lives deserve more than our best intentions — they deserve our follow-through. Every promise we keep is a small act of faithfulness that builds trust, strengthens relationships, and reflects the character of a God who never abandons what He begins. Keep bringing these moments honestly before God, and watch how He slowly builds in you the kind of integrity that can hold up anything.
Until next time,
May the Lord bless you and keep you;
May He make His face shine upon you;
And be gracious to you and give you peace.
God Bless!
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