“Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one” – Matthew 5:37

Brothers and Sisters, there came a time when the Reubenites, Gadites and half tribe of Manasseh went to Moses to opt for the eastern part of the Jordan, east of Canaan, for their inheritance. This was a terrain that was prime for livestock breeding and farming, and was unoccupied by the descendants of Anak. Thinking that these tribes wanted to avoid confrontation with the inhabitants of Canaan, Moses refused their proposal.

However, the leaders of these tribes promised to join the other tribes in battle when the time comes to take over the remaining land God had promised them, where the sons of Anak dwelt. Scripture records that when the time was due, Joshua reminded them to keep their end of the bargain, and they did. They let their ‘yes’ be ‘yes’. They let their words mean something.

In a world where communication can sometimes be clouded with complexity and deceit, the value of straightforward honesty cannot be overstated. By letting our “yes” mean “yes” and our “no” mean “no,” we not only uphold integrity, we also cultivate trust and clarity in our interactions with others. There’s been instances when many of us have made vows to God and have forfeited after we got the breakthrough we desired.

Our verse for today is encouraging us to be people of our word, to speak truthfully, and to act with integrity as the Reubenites, Gadites and half tribe of Manasseh did. Remember, anything else comes from the devil who is the father of all flalsehood.