By Emily Schmid
The power of a pinky promise was strong in my childhood. I vividly remember the sacred ritual: linking pinky fingers, shaking them up and down, and making a solemn vow—one that, to a 10-year-old, was holy and unbreakable.
As we grow older, we learn that promises are sacred—and so sacred, in fact, that they should be made sparingly. Parents know never to promise something they can’t guarantee. You don’t promise to go to the pool on the weekend in Iowa, for example, because no one can promise good weather.
But God can make all the promises He wants—because He is God.
Throughout Scripture, we see God making and fulfilling promises to His people. He promises Abraham and Sarah a child. He promises to deliver Israel out of slavery. He promises David that his lineage will bring forth the Messiah. God keeps every one of these promises and more, all leading to the person of Jesus Christ—the ultimate fulfillment of God’s covenant with humanity.
In the Gospel for the Ascension of the Lord, Jesus says, “Behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you…” (Luke 24:49). Before this, He reminds the disciples of the promises already fulfilled, and assures them that God is not finished yet.
The Ascension reminds us that God’s promises don’t end—they unfold. Jesus does not leave His disciples behind; He prepares them for what is to come. God is not done. The Holy Spirit is coming. The promise still holds. And God, always faithful, will keep it.