2014-03-07
Good Morning Dear Ones,
It is because we must deal with the pain and effort of trials and challenges that we need our covenant relationships so very much. It goes without saying that knowing God never abandon’s us and is always here for us gives us comfort. PS 62: 7-8, “He is my mighty Rock, my Refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our Refuge.” Our Covenant Partner guides, directs, encourages, rebukes, corrects, and blesses us mightily. And, we also need our human covenant partners, as well. ECCL 4: 9-10, “Two are better than one. When one falls down, his friend can help him up.” When defining what a real human friend is, we can use PR 18: 24, “Some friends play at friendship, but a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin.” This covenant partner is a real soul mate.
We can see the benefits of a covenant partnership between Abraham and God. Abraham was willing to obey God even to the point of leaving his familiar surroundings and culture of paganism in Mesopotamia [his home was Ur of the Chaldees in today’s SE Iraq] and follow God’s directions without knowing his final destination. God took him and his family to Haran [Syria] to wait for Abram’s father, Terah’s, death at 205 years old there. Then God directed Abram to what would one day become the Promised Land of Israel, but was then, Caanan. All Abram had to do was to believe, and God justified Him [GN 15: 6]. Their partnership in this venture and Abram’s obedience, meant that God could establish the Jewish people-separated from all their neighbors by their belief in one God [monotheism, as expressed in DT 6: 4-5, the Shema]. What Abraham didn’t know about God’s plan was that out of the Jewish people would come the royal line of David and out of that our Lord Jesus arose. We know Jesus is God’s second personality, our Savior, the Redeemer of God’s people [JN 3: 16; RO 3: 24-25].
We know that God made us His friends from RO 5: 9-11. Christ really drove home the blessings from this in JN 15: 13, “Greater love has on one than that he lay down his life for his friends.” That’s exactly what our Lord did for us! Moreover, He goes on in JN 15: 16-17 saying, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask for in My name. This is My commandment: love each other.” There is a definite connection here between the love the Lord has for us and the love we should have for one another. That we are bonded together by our shared faith in Jesus Christ makes this even more compelling. We are covenant partners with a clear directive in how we should care about and for each other! I would be remiss, as a person who spends a large chunk of my time witnessing to non-believers to my faith in Him, if I didn’t write that the Great Commission of MT 28: 19-20 didn’t figure into this construct. We have not only a directive to reach out to potential believers, but even an urgency [in view of the approach of the end times] to do so.
Consider the initiative that our God took in reaching out to us first. It sets an example for us to follow. Judeo-Christianity is the only belief system where this exists. In all others, it’s the potential believer who must reach out first to their gods. As you already know, God kept His promise to give His people, the Jews, a Promised Land, which is Israel. IS 41: 8-10, “But you, O Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, I took you from the ends of the earth, from the farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are My servant’: I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you: I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” As a Messianic Jewish person, I have never had the opportunity to make my “allyah”-the first trip to the “homeland” (Israel) for a Jew in dyaspora (living outside of Israel). But I pray it will happen-if not in this lifetime, then in the new Jerusalem God has promised us in REV 21-22. As with all true believers, we can find real motivation to be faithfully obedient to our Covenant Partner in serving our human covenant partners and potential covenant partners.
God loves for us to rehearse our history with Him, and we can do this in prayer. I’ve often written about the story of King Jehoshaphat of the Jews, who was faced with a possible attack from a combined army of Moabite, Ammonite, and Edomite army of enemies found in 2 CH 10: 1-30. It is full of so much wonderful advice through the example of faithfulness this king and his Jewish subjects showed our God. The fasted and prayed first. They followed each direction the Lord gave them, and through it all, God directed and protected them. 2 CH 20: 7 is found in the prayer Jehoshaphat uttered, recalling the victories over Canaan that Joshua had long before. “O our God, did You not drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham, Your friend?” This week, take some time to rehearse your own personal histories with God in your prayers. See what a true Covenant Friend He is.
PRAYER: O Lord, as both Your servants and Your friends, we come before Your mighty throne to offer You praise and thanks for Who You are and what You do. We are awed by Your power to bring goodness; we are humbled by Your persistence in not giving up on us due to our imperfections; we are eager to do Your bidding; we are standing in anticipation of the Day when we will be brought home to Your side in heaven; we are grateful for the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ, so that, by our faith in Him, we do not have suffer spiritual death for eternity. Your continual company is comforting and gives us direction when we arrive at various crossroads in our earthly lives. We are amazed at the supernatural power of Your word in achieving the stated goals in 2 TIM 3: 16-17. “All Scripture is God-breathed and useful in teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be fully equipped for every good deed.” We stand thankful that You will never abandon us [PS 9: 9-10], that You are the Source of all good [PS 16: 1-2], and that You listen to every prayer we utter with an ear of patience, compassion, and kindness [PS 116:1]. We bask in the warmth of Your forgiveness, not just for a short time on the human clock, but for eternity [1 JN 1: 9]. It is our desire not to sin and to ferret out any sinfulness in us for the purpose of ridding ourselves of it. You are our Covenant Partner, and we love You for the sweet friendship You offer us. We accept the responsibility to be good and follow Christ’s example with You, our human covenant partners, and those who are potential ones. We will share our faith with them in the hope that the Holy Spirit will help to strengthen faith where it is weak and bring faith where it doesn’t exist now. We offer You our heartfelt friendship and service in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: The Holy Spirit leads me to continue discussing “Covenant Friendship” in these “Our Covenant” messages. The issue of reconciliation with God comes up-why it’s necessary, how it can be achieved, and the lifestyle it brings in our interpersonal relationships. I have a dear friend who recently lost her husband. Peter and I knew this man well and loved him for many years as our friend and covenant partner. My friend needed to be away from her husband for five weeks, attending to her dying sister, a number of years before his death. During that time, I made dinner every Friday night for this man, and he would bring his Bible questions for us to discuss while we enjoyed this time together. I got to make dishes that I normally didn’t get to prepare, dishes he appreciated, and the memory of those evenings is very precious to me. In my mind, I can still hear this friend’s unique laugh. When his wife returned, the four of us continued our friendship, as we still do today with his widow. This is just one example of how a covenant friendship can add meaning and texture to the fabric of one’s life. Are we our brother’s keeper? According to the Lord, you bet we are! Some of the greatest fulfillment in my own life has come when I was serving others. Rehearse your own history with the Lord and see if He hasn’t presented opportunities for you to feel this kind of warmth and contentment in interacting with Him and with other humans in your life. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2014. All Rights Reserved.
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