Been there...

Name: Chad
Scripture: Numbers 29-30; Acts 18:9-28

But as he left, he promised, "I will come back if it is God's will."

OAP: This seems like a fairly lame promise. It seems like less of a promise and more of a easy let down, cautioning that he may not come back. I have had to make promises like this lately, a downside to having to pray about everything means that I am not great about committing. I do not enjoy doing these promises. My mom asked me to go with her to the Easter service, it is just awkward to answer. Explanations come harder..."I'm sorry I can't, God doesn't want me to" "Maybe, give me a few minutes, I can't say right now". I am very good at explanations, I can walk through my reasoning process fairly clearly, but it doesn't work here. I think that it is what Paul is doing, "I want to come back, but I can't be sure. /Well, sure I'll be able to but I don't know if I will. /Because it is not my decision. / I promise to do it....if it's God's will/ Yes, that means I won't if it isn't/ I don't know why it wouldn't be/ look I don't control this, I'm sorry"

God, I am confused on why the word 'promised' it used. It seems like a given. I want it to be a promise as in he was going to do your will weather or not they wanted him to. I find that reassuring to the people.
I promise.

Quick side note:
Clarification: I don't think video games are evil. But God told me not to play, and I did anyway, so for me Crysis = Satan. It is also a fantastic game, one of the only games in existence that will push my laptop to the limit. I am all for playing computer games (I don't as a general rule because of my former attachment to them) I support the buying of games, but up untill this point every video game I ever owned was a gift. The part about being ashamed of going to the mall alone and buying a game was more or less a joke, mostly hyperbole. Stupid lack of way to convey tone online....