Genesis 17:5-8

It’s a big moment when you enter into a binding agreement with someone. Whether you are thinking of marriage, buying a house or starting a new job, it is a time to stand back from life and take a deep breath. This was just such a moment for Abram as he entered into a covenant with God that was going to change everything – including his name!

The word “covenant” is important throughout the whole of the Bible. It’s an amazing word. The idea that the God of Creation wants to enter into a relationship with human beings is enough to blow your mind. The first covenant that God made was with Noah, and he set a rainbow in the sky as an eternal reminder of it. Then, in the New Testament, we see the way in which Jesus’ death on the cross ushers in a new covenant, as he throws the door open to the world.

A covenant has two sides to it. On one side, there is God, who has freely chosen to enter into a relationship with us. The only explanation for this is love. He doesn’t have to form a relationship with us and he doesn’t need us. He’s God! But he has decided, from the beginning of time, that his desire was to offer humankind the possibility of relationship.

Then there’s the other side of the covenant – us. If a covenant was one-sided, it wouldn’t be a covenant. God will never impose himself on us. Through Jesus’ death on the cross, he offers a new life to us, and we need to decide whether we want to follow in his way and be obedient to him, or not.

Question

In what way will obeying God shape your life today?

Prayer

Faithful and loving Heavenly Father, thank you that you invite me into an eternal covenant with you. Help me to be faithful to that covenant today. Amen