“…walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:10

A Lick and A Promise

Do you ever justify skipping a job, or doing a rushed job, due to lack of time? Do you hear a voice saying “Really? That’s the best you can do?”

When my mama didn’t have a lot of time to complete her housework, she would say, “I’ll just give it ‘a lick and a promise’.” I was thinking about this today when I was proud of my cleaning accomplishments, but I didn’t get to finish with a nice coat of wax on my floor. I was exhausted and we had dinner plans so I needed some time to get ready before my husband got home. So I said to myself, “I will just give it a lick and a promise.” So what does that mean?

The expression is believed to come with a promise to do a better job at some future time. Looking downat the open Bible on my desk, I thought, “Did I just give the Lord a lick and a promise today? Did I read and pray thoroughly, or was it an item to check off of my to-do list? Did my time with Jesus today come with a promise to say I’ll get back to You later, Lord—just a lick and a promise for now?

Here it comes, wait for it…the guilt trip. “If that is all the time you have to give to the Lord, is it worth His time to listen to you?” “You need more margins in your schedule.”

Satan’s ploy is to discourage us even from our “lick and a promise” prayer and devotional time. I believe we all hunger and thirst for more of Jesus and more time alone with Him. Jesus also looks forward to our “together time”, but He will use what we give Him, and multiply it 100 times. He is with us all day, so we can talk to Him all day.

Lord, I want to spend more time in Your presence drawing close, talking and listening as You speak to me. Reveal Yourself to me as I read Your Word. Reveal to me what You meant Your Word to say to those being addressed, and to me today, and how I can apply this to my life. Let me hear Your voice clearly and write down what I feel You are saying to me, to ponder it in my heart throughout my day. Help me, Lord, to carve out time away from all the distractions and commitments and voices that beckon me to come away with them rather than You. Thank You, Lord, that You understand my “lick and a promise” and will answer when I call.