Covenant, by Mom

Pledge, treaty, agreement

Genesis 17:7  I will continue this everlasting covenant between us, generation after generation.  It will continue between me and your offspring forever.  And I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.  

Will, testament, fact

Mark 14:24  And He said to them, "This is my blood, poured out for many, sealing the covenant between God and His people."

A new covenant ratified by the sacrificial death of Jesus on the Cross.

Jesus has become a surety (guarantee).

Hebrews 7:22  Because of God's oath, it is Jesus who guarantees the effectiveness of this better covenant.  

Isaiah 61:8  For I the Lord love justice.  I hate robbery and wrongdoing.  I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them.  

From me:

These are the verses Mom was thinking on regarding covenant.  What beautiful promises from the Lord.  It is He who makes this covenant with us.  Imagine that...I bring nothing to the table, no bargaining chips, nothing to offer in return for His blessings....and yet He wants to covenant with me. In the Old Testament, covenant, or an agreement between two parties was usually sealing by the spilling of animal blood.  God makes His covenant with us through the shed blood of Jesus Christ...it is permanent....everlasting.

Some verses I'd like to add regarding God's covenant with us:

Isaiah 3:22-24  The unfailing love of the Lord never ends!  By His mercies we have een kept from complete destruction.  Great is His faithfulness!  His mercies begin afresh each day.  I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance; therefore I will hope in Him!"

I am struggling with some financial issues right now (as most of us are these days)...but God's covenant, His promise is to take care of me.  Therefore I need not fear.  I need not worry or fret.  In His hands I am secure.  That is what it feels like to be in covenant with God....secure, safe.  If I think about this covenant, I realize that all the promises, all the benefits come from God to me.  How crazy is that!!  When I compare me to Him....a microsecond to eternity....an atom to the universe....I just stand amazed and astounded, speechless, dumbfounded at the awesome incredible-ness of it all.

There are some wonderful studies on covenant out there.  Kay Arthur has a good book on it.  If you want a deeper understand I recommend doing one.

Thank You Lord that You covenanted with us.  Thank You fort this agreement between us, initiated by You, assured by You, sealed by You.  Lord, help me to understand more and more what this means everyday...not just for eternity, but for my daily living.