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31 "That's right. The time is coming when I will make a brand-new covenant with Israel and Judah. 32 It won't be a repeat of the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant even though I did my part as their Master." God's Decree. 33 "This is the brand-new covenant that I will make with Israel when the time comes. I will put my law within them - write it on their hearts! - and be their God. And they will be my people. 34 They will no longer go around setting up schools to teach each other about God. They'll know me firsthand, the dull and the bright, the smart and the slow. I'll wipe the slate clean for each of them. I'll forget they ever sinned!" God's Decree. If This Ordered Cosmos Ever Fell to Pieces (Jeremiah 31:31-34 The Message Bible)
Happy Wednesday, dear Friend. May the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus be with you on this special day. May we seek to glorify God and reach others who don't quite know God yet, and do our best to win them for Him. May we continue to pray for one another especially those who are in need. May our prayer continue to be, "Lord, send me among the ones no one else wants or sees! And give us the message of love and hope they long to hear." As we pray, let us pray for my sister-in-law, Mrs. Edna Rosales Cruz, who is in the hospital in the Valley with concerns about her heart. Pray the Lord touch her and make her well. Pray for her family as well. Edna is Nellie's younger sister.
Our God is a God of covenants. Such is the love of God that God is an all-in for all-time and all-love God. God is so invested in us, that He made and has kept five foundational covenants. The Noahic Covenant; made after the great flood in which God establishes a covenant with Noah and all living creatures. This covenant has its own sign, the rainbow which symbolizes God's promise never to flood the earth again. The second is the Abrahamic Covenant, which, as the name says is between Abraham and his descendants into a great nation. God promises to make them a nation, bless them, and give them the land of Canaan. This covenant also has a sign, which is circumcision. The third covenant was the Mosaic Covenant with His people through Moses in the giving of the Ten Commandments and other laws as part of the covenant. It also outlined the relationship between God and the people of Israel. The fourth covenant is the Davidic Covenant, which was made between God and David promising his lineage would be an enduring one. This covenant anticipated the coming of the Messiah, who would be from David's lineage. The fifth covenant is this one promised here, the New Covenant, fulfilled in Jesus Christ. It was His sacrificial death and resurrection established the covenant, which replaced the old system of sacrifices. The sign of this covenant is the Lord's Supper (Holy Communion or Eucharist.)
This new covenant as Jeremiah decreed, signifies a profound intimacy between God and His people. No longer will they need to rely on external teaching to know the Lord, for His presence will be tangible within them. Through this covenant, God offers forgiveness for their sins, wiping the slate clean and remembering their transgressions no more.
As recipients of this new covenant through Jesus Christ, we are invited into a deep relationship with God. His Spirit resides within us, enabling us to live in obedience and intimacy with Him. We no longer need to strive to know God from a distance; He reveals Himself to us personally and intimately.
PRAYER: Loving God, we are in awe and in gratitude of the new covenant of hope and forgiveness that You have established through Jesus Christ. Thank You for writing Your law on our hearts and dwelling within us by Your Spirit. Help us to live in the reality of this covenant each day, experiencing Your presence and walking in obedience to Your will. May Your love and forgiveness transform us from the inside out, that we may reflect Your glory to the world around us. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Consider areas in your life where you may need to experience God's transforming power and forgiveness. Surrender those areas to Him, inviting His Spirit to work in your heart and empower you to live in obedience and intimacy with Him.
I love you and thank God for you,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
