The Peace of the Covenant

The Peace of the Covenant

READ: GENESIS 15; ACTS 3:25; HEBREWS 13:20-21 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=GENESIS%2015%3B%20ACTS%203%3A25%3B%20HEBREWS%2013%3A20-21&version=NLT] Have you ever worried about losing your relationship with God? I used to worry God would give up on me if I wasn’t good enough—and, of course, I was never “good enough.” Then I learned about covenant. A covenant is a binding, sacred agreement, and it’s one way God relates to humankind. In Genesis, the first book of the Bible, the rainbow provides a beautiful picture of covenant (chapters 6–9). Humankind was so steeped in wickedness that God, in His justice, flooded the earth and destroyed almost all life. Noah and his family, who were spared through their trust in God, built an ark and lived in it for about 370 days, surrounded by all different types of animals. When the flood was over, God sent the rainbow as a sign of His covenant: that He would never flood the world again. But God didn’t stop there. Years later, He made a covenant with Abraham, promising him descendants and leading him from his home to an unknown country and an unseen future, so the whole world would one day be blessed through the birth of Jesus (Genesis 15; Galatians 3:6-14, 29). Here’s some great news: God’s covenant with His people can’t be broken— because He is the one keeping the covenant, and He knows people are incapable of keeping it (Psalm 89:34). And God loves us so much that He has a covenant with you and me—and with everyone who puts their trust in Jesus—to rescue us from sin and death so we can live with Him forever. Covenant brings me comfort. It dispels any doubts about God’s love, forgiveness, and trustworthiness. Hebrews 13:20 tells us that Jesus is our great shepherd and we are His sheep through “an eternal covenant [ratified] with his blood.” God is the one who established the covenant through His blood, and God is the one who keeps His covenant. • Sharon Rene • Throughout our lives, we may experience fears that God might abandon us. Thankfully, God invites us to bring these worries to Him in prayer anytime. In addition to talking to God, who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to about this, people who can pray with you and point you to Scriptures that remind us of God’s faithful love? • Why do you think we humans try to be perfect to earn God’s love? How can remembering God’s covenants and the symbol of the rainbow help us rest in His faithful love, instead of working to earn His favor? “For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the LORD, who has mercy on you. Isaiah 54:10 (NLT)

For Aid I Call: A Lament

READ: PSALM 7:1; PROVERBS 18:10; HEBREWS 13:6 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%207%3A1%3B%20PROVERBS%2018%3A10%3B%20HEBREWS%2013%3A6&version=NIV]Oh Lord, are Your ears stone? From times of old I have cried out for aid, but no answer have I received. To the left, fear plots for my life; affliction laughs at my right hand. Trouble is near me. But You, O God, O Lord of might and justice, You alone are my hope. Even when all hope seems lost, You keep me secure. Tears washed my bed, and a troubled sleep took me, but I awoke in joy, for Your steadfast love encompassed me. I call to You only for aid, and You alone I seek; I cannot save myself. Your sword alone can crush my enemies, and You alone can lay my foes at my feet. From my lips, Your praise builds its peak; higher than the mountaintops, To the depths of the sea and to the farthest star Your song reaches. For You are the Deliverer, the Faithful, and the Giver of blessings. I will praise You alone, for You are good. • Bonny Garlets • Today’s poem is written in the style of a lament psalm. Lament psalms are a mix of complaint, trust, and assurance. When our foundations are crumbling, we can talk to God with raw honesty, like the psalmists did, and we can trust Him to hold us safely even in the midst of suffering. Because Jesus suffered the cross for us, crying out in the words of Psalm 22, we can come to Him in any suffering. We can know that He feels our hurts with us, and He promises to save us and to one day make all things new. What kinds of hardships or trouble have you been experiencing lately? Consider taking some time to pour out your own lament to God. • If you want to dig deeper, read Psalms 3:8; 6:6; 7:9; 16:9; 28:1-2; 30:5; 32:10; 33:5; 36:5; 45:4; 56:4; 71:5; 108:12; 146:3-5. LoORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. Psalm 3:1-3 (NIV)

A Broken World

READ: PSALM 27:10; ROMANS 8:28-29, 38-39; HEBREWS 13:5 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%2027%3A10%3B%20ROMANS%208%3A28-29%2C%2038-39%3B%20HEBREWS%2013%3A5&version=NLT] I don’t remember how my parents told me the news. I don’t remember what words they used or even where I was standing when they told me. But I remember what happened next. My world was torn apart when my parents announced their divorce. It was like all my dreams of a happy, close family were shattered into a thousand tiny pieces. I felt betrayed and forsaken. During that incredibly difficult time in my life, I decided to cling to the truths of God’s Word. That’s when I found Psalm 27:10: “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close.” You may have already learned this in your life, but people will fail you. As humans, we’re all born sinners (Psalm 51:5). And every time we choose sin, it doesn’t just affect us, it affects everyone around us. Sin destroys. It can wound and scar us. It hurts. But in the Bible, we find an amazing truth—yes, sin is bad, but God’s love is greater. Our perfect Heavenly Father loves us so much that He sent Jesus. God the Son lived among us. He died on the cross and rose from the grave to defeat sin and death and make the way for us to be with Him forever. People may hurt you, and you may hurt other people, but God has the power to restore and forgive. He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us. Our hope is found in Him. • Jessica McFarland • Have you ever felt betrayed or deeply disappointed by someone close to you? In these moments, we can look to Jesus, who was willing to endure betrayal and rejection out of His great love for us. He has so much compassion for you, and He invites you to find healing and restoration in Him. Consider taking some time to bring any hurts or betrayals to Jesus in prayer. • Can you think of a time you betrayed somebody you love—whether intentionally or accidentally? God’s mercy and forgiveness are so abundant. Consider taking a moment to confess any sins that come to mind and rest in God’s sure forgiveness. Can you think of any ways you could make things right with the person you hurt? • If your family is experiencing divorce, who is a trusted Christian you can be open with about what you’re going through—someone who will listen with compassion, pray, and remind you of God’s nearness? For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5 (NLT)

Nature of Prayer

READ: JEREMIAH 29:12-13; JAMES 5:13-16 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=JEREMIAH%2029%3A12-13%3B%20JAMES%205%3A13-16&version=NIV] As a teen, I learned about the practice of prayer: simply communicating with God—both talking to Him and listening to Him. One warm afternoon, I decided to embrace the privilege of prayer. I walked down our family’s dirt driveway and ducked into a cluster of trees and vines. Away from my large, bustling family, I’d found a quiet spot to fellowship with Jesus. Decades later, I recall the intimacy of that time with the Lord, when I prayed for any requests that came to mind—family members, sick people at church, doctors and nurses caring for the ill. With childlike faith, I trusted that God heard me and cared, that my simple prayers connected with the Creator. When I pushed past tree branches and emerged from my little hideaway, I knew I’d spent meaningful time communing with Christ. I also wanted more of it. In Colossians 4:2, Paul reminds believers, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Jesus exhorted His disciples to “pray and not give up” in Luke 18:1. I wanted this devotion to prayer, the heartfelt prayer life we read about in James 5—prayer in times of happiness and trouble, sickness and confession. As a new believer in Jesus, I delved into “the prayer offered in faith” that day among leaves and limbs (James 5:15). Throughout my life, God has drawn me into prayer, even when I’ve expressed anger at Him or questioned His love for me. Whenever God’s love seems uncertain, we can look to Jesus. God came and lived among us. He died on the cross and rose from the grave to forgive us and make us holy, all because He wants to save us and welcome us into a relationship with Himself. As we pray, believing He listens to our prayers with love for His children, our faith in God will be stretched. Yet through our prayers, God grows our faith, and our growing faith results in a rich prayer life. • Allison Wilson Lee • Can you think of a time you had a desire to talk to God? What was that like? • Have you been angry with God for not answering prayers in a certain way? Feel free to pour that out to the Lord. He already knows how we feel, yet He invites us to be totally honest as we open our hearts to Him. Remember, He can truly empathize with all our pains and struggles because Jesus experienced life in this broken world alongside us. He sees, He understands, and He cares about our every hurt and sorrow—He even weeps with us. And He promises to wipe away our every tear, and right every wrong, at His return. How could remembering Jesus’s empathy and love for us make it easier for us to be open with Him in prayer? Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2 (NIV)

The Finish Runway

READ: ACTS 20:22-24; 1 CORINTHIANS 9:24-27; HEBREWS 12:1-3 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ACTS%2020%3A22-24%3B%201%20CORINTHIANS%209%3A24-27%3B%20HEBREWS%2012%3A1-3&version=WEB] Tau entered his coordinates into the dashboard computer, and his location popped up on the screen. He did some calculations and plotted the last leg of his flight. Only 1,312,569 more miles and he’d be home. He could see Earth in the distance, a miniature cobalt crescent. He yawned and rubbed his tired eyes, then programmed in a new series of coordinates, and engaged autopilot. The Perseverance had been a reliable ship for his first Steel Bones Space Marathon, a biennial, interplanetary race. The craft was well-named, as the ever-changing route always encompassed at least five planets. He’d spent the last eight weeks alone in this tiny pressurized cabin. A cheeseburger and a hot shower had never sounded so good. At fifteen, Tau was this year’s youngest contestant. He couldn’t hope to win against the field of more experienced flyers, but he had trained hard, preparing his mind and body for the rigors of the race. He hoped to finish within the qualifying time for membership in the prestigious Zenith Academy, where he could study space exploration. That prize had kept him well focused. And Jesus’s steady, loving presence had sustained him. As he neared home, Earth’s beautiful blues and greens filled his windshield. He throttled down and adjusted his angle to reenter the atmosphere. As he did, the ban on communications lifted. His sister Jedda filled his screen. “Tau, you did it!” she exclaimed. “You’re within five hours of the deadline!” Tau grinned. The camera shifted and his parents appeared. “Tau, we’re so proud of you!” Mom shouted. Dad beamed his agreement, too choked up to speak. Australia loomed large. Sydney came into view, and then the finish runway. The Perseverance’s wheels touched down. Tau taxied toward the terminal and disembarked into a huge crush of spectators. He gasped, recognizing friends, neighbors, and schoolmates. They were all shouting! Congratulating him! Welcoming him home! With a wide grin, he embraced his family. The hard work and long weeks were suddenly forgotten. The sacrifices had all been worth it. • Michelle Isenhoff • Today’s allegorical story is inspired by Bible passages that compare the Christian walk to a race. Hebrews 12:1-3 says we can persevere in this race—resisting sin, seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and “looking to Jesus”—because He has already persevered for us, on our behalf. Verse 3 says, “For the joy that was set before him [Jesus] endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” On the cross, Jesus was looking forward to what His death and resurrection would accomplish. He was looking forward to the joy of restoring us, His people, to Himself and restoring His creation! Why do you think Jesus calls us to keep our eyes on Him as we wait for His return? (Matthew 6:33; Romans 8:31-39; Revelation 21:1-5) • In what areas of your life do you need perseverance and endurance today? Maybe your patience is wearing thin, or your struggle against a certain temptation is feeling more and more difficult, or you haven’t felt like reading the Bible or talking to God lately. Consider taking some time to tell Jesus about whatever comes to mind. You can be totally honest with Him—He already knows it all, and He is eager to show you His love and His help. • In addition to talking to God, who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk to—people who will listen to you, pray with you, support you, and remind you of God’s steadfast love and forgiveness? Therefore let’s also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 (WEB)