Tuesday January 31, 2023

Today is Tuesday, January 31 and we are studying what the Bible says about covenant.

Jesus, I am yours. As I approach the newness of a dawning day, I sit quietly in the joy of your presence and relish the comfort of your abiding love. Open the scriptures to me, speak into my life and teach me about covenant.

Pause and Pray

Holy Lord God, I am no longer my own, but yours. Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you, exalted for you, or brought low for you; let me be full, let me be empty. Amen. (The Wesleyan Covenant Prayer, part 1)

I kneel in humility before the Lord and seek him with the words of Psalm 78.

Their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant. Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath. He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return. Psalm 78:37-39

Pause and Pray

Abraham and his wife followed God’s call, left their homeland and settled in the land of Canaan. Abraham was an ordinary guy who was invited by God to lead an extraordinary life. God established a covenant with Abraham that guaranteed land and heirs. This covenant is repeated to Abraham several times in the book of Genesis (Genesis 12, 15 and 17). God’s commitment is to Abraham and his descendants for all time and eternity. The covenant promises Abraham a multitude of heirs, possession of the land and most importantly the presence of God with his people.

Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” Genesis 17:3-7

As Abraham lies prostrate in the presence of God I fall face down alongside him in awe and amazement. The Bible says that because of Jesus Christ, I too am a child of Abraham. The promise of Abraham extends to me. Thousands of years ago when God showed Abraham the multitude of stars in heaven and pointed to all the sand on the seashore, God showed Abraham me (Genesis 22:17). God pointed ahead into the future and showed Abraham the multitude of believers who would become children of God through the blood of Abraham’s line – God’s only Son Jesus.

Ask: What does it mean for me to be a child of Abraham? How is God’s covenant promise fulfilled and continued in my life?

Pause and Pray

Lord God, you are mighty, you are holy, and you are worthy to be praised. I kneel before you, bow my face to the ground, and fall at your feet as I listen to the words of promise. As you knew Abraham, you know me. You call me by name. I am yours. Your covenant is everlasting, passed down through the centuries to continue for generations to come. Thank you for Jesus – the fulfillment of your covenant and redemption of my soul. I read the words from Genesis again and listen for the message you have for me.

Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” Genesis 17:3-7

Ask: What image, word or phrase stands out to me when I slowly read this passage? What is God trying to say to me through these words of scripture?

Pause and Pray

God speaks to me through the ancient scriptures and I am learning to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes I get glimpses of truth through words and other times I focus on a particular image. I listen with the ear of my heart and meditate on the words and images of this particular encounter between God and Abraham. The covenant God made long ago informs my life and purpose today. The covenant includes my loved ones and descendants for generations – my children, and their children and their children.

Pause and Pray

God, I invite you into the quiet recesses of my soul, speak words that reveal the truth of your covenant and the promises you have for me in this generation. Call my name as you did Abraham’s and help me understand the purposes and plans you have in store for me. I yield my life to you and am thankful for your covenant promises. Amen.

He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. 1 Chronicles 16:15-16

So also Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:6-7,29

I leave this time of prayer knowing I am blessed by God; I go to be a blessing to others.

Amen