"I Gave Him My Word"

In 1989, CBS presented a dramatic television miniseries called “Lonesome Dove” (see trailer). It’s a gripping story about two former Texas Rangers in the Old West who face many perils as they drive a herd of cattle northward to Montana. In it Captain Woodrow Call agrees to the deathbed wish of his friend Gus McCrae to bury his body in Texas.

While traveling from Montana to Texas, Call is often asked why he’s taking on such a dangerous enterprise. On one occasion, the Captain simply looks at his questioner and drawls, “I gave him my word.” There’s a long pause as the two men’s eyes meet. Then the stranger says, “I can see that you did.” The Captain merely nods and turns away.

There was power in that moment, for it captured the character of Woodrow Call. His beliefs, his words, and his actions were one. When he said, “I gave him my word” – those words said it all.

The Psalmist described a person of integrity as one “who swears to his own hurt” (Psalm 15:4). This means we keep our word even if it costs us dearly to do so. If we agree to a task, we must do it. If we promise to pray for someone, we must do it. If we pledge to “love, honor, and obey” until death separates us, we must keep our promise.

Beloved, keeping our word is a mark of our integrity (Job 27:5 NLT).

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets