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A New Covenant!

“God is God. Because He is God,
He is worthy of my trust and obedience.
I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will,
a will that is unspeakably
beyond my largest notions
of what He is up to.”
— Elisabeth Elliot

“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the LORD. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.  And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the LORD. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” – Jeremiah 31:33-34 NLT

Jeremiah is God’s voice, speaking about the promise of the LORD’s new covenant that he will make with his people. Of course, knowledge of God’s “instructions” started with the prophets and others who spoke for God in Biblical times and starts with the Bible and people who speak for God now. However, knowledge is not nearly enough. We need to be empowered and transformed by the Holy Spirit of the living God who will place God’s instructions on our hearts and make them a part of us. As important as the scriptures are, the Spirit who inspired them is also the one who is essential for us to understand and live the intent of scripture. The Holy Spirit will inform, transform, and conform God’s people to be like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). This promise of a new covenant also runs throughout the New Testament, but the work of the Spirit in this covenant is especially emphasized in John chapters 14-16 as Jesus promises the Comforter or Counselor or Advocate or Helper or Friend (depending on your translation). It is also emphasized powerfully in 2 Corinthians 3, which is probably a spiritual reflection about the fulfillment of God’s promise recorded by Jeremiah. Read 2 Corinthians 3 after reading today’s verses from Jeremiah. Rejoice that we have this promised time of grace and divine presence available to us in the Holy Spirit!

Almighty God, I rejoice in the sacrifice of Jesus and the work of your Holy Spirit to bring your promise of a new covenant alive in our day. I ask that the Spirit’s power, his force, his grace, be at work in me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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Have you prayed about it?

Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.
Psalm 86:6-7 (NIV)

Sometimes there are no immediate answers for the troubling events in life. We have prayed and cried and tried and gone sleepless and mourned and shouted. Still there are no answers. The days roll by in an agonizing parade of pain. Still there are no answers we can identify. What do we do? We can go to the Psalms. We allow let them raise up our heart’s cry. We are honest with the God of the entire universe and yet we can still anticipate mercy from him. We are convinced that in our troubles, he will not only hear us, but he will also care about what is happening in our lives.

Almighty God,
the only true Healer
of disease and Mender
of broken hearts,
please hear the cry today
of those I love who are
in such desperate situations.
May your will be done
in every one of their lives
with tenderness, grace,
and a sense of your presence.
And Lord, please be near me,
and help me see your
answer to my prayers.
Forever yours in the name of Jesus.
Amen.

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This World Needs Jesus.

My righteousness draws near speedily,
my salvation is on the way,
and my arm will bring justice to the nations.
The islands will look to me
and wait in hope for my arm.
Isaiah 51:5 (NIV)

God’s promises stand through the ages. He has fulfilled them in many different ways. He has punished evil nations, he has redeemed Israel according to his promises, and he has sent Jesus as Savior and redeemer. But most importantly of all, Jesus stands at the edge of history waiting to return and bring full redemption for God’s people and salvation for those everywhere who long for his return.

Sovereign Lord,
I see so much injustice in the world
and I long for truth, righteousness,
and justice to triumph.
While I long for the return of Jesus,
my heart also breaks for the many
that do not know Jesus
and for those who are
in rebellion to your will.
I don’t know what to ask
other than that your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven
and may the triumph
of your will begin with me.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.

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Taking a bite out of sin…

A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples.
John 13:34-35

How do you recognize Jesus’ followers? How do you find Christians? Jesus said they love each other just as he loved the disciples. In the immediate context this means he is willing to give sacrificially and extravagantly by dying for them at the cross, and he is also willing to love selflessly and practically by washing their feet. His ministry reveals he will do almost anything in between extravagant and practical. Imagine if we all read the Gospels and committed to love each other in the same way Jesus showed his love to his disciples!

And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
Romans 5:5

It’s hard to believe that there is an endless supply of anything! But the promise of this passage, even in its context of suffering and difficulty, is that we have an endless supply of love as the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with love. This love is as big as God and is supplied by the Holy Spirit’s living inside us as followers of Jesus. We can receive and be blessed by God’s love, and we have the power to love others out of God’s deep reservoir of love.

Father of Compassion and God of all grace, I thank you for teaching me to love
through the example of Jesus. Thank you for your powerful grace that is given to me through your Spirit and enables me both to receive your love and to love others as Jesus did. May my life reflect this powerful gift in both good times and hard times. May my words and actions reflect his love toward your people today, tomorrow, and until you bring us all home to you. In the name of Christ, my Great Example, I pray. Amen.

 

Prayers of Hope

I urge, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
– 1 Timothy 2:1-2 NIV

God wants us to be a praying people. But more than that, God wants us to pray for people. The blessing of that kind of prayerful life is that we get to live peaceful and quiet lives full of godliness and holiness. So pray, dear friend in Jesus, pray as if world peace depends upon it, because it does!

Majestic and Holy God, your greatness is beyond my mind to grasp but your grace reaches me and teaches in a new way each day. Forgive me when my prayer life has not been passionate. Forgive me for letting my prayers focus only on what is wrong. Use your Spirit, O God, to ignite a hunger in my soul so that I come to find satisfaction only in you and your presence. In the name of Jesus Christ and through the intercession of the Holy Spirit, I pray. Amen.

Perfect Fit!

As you come to him, the living Stone — rejected by human beings but chosen by God and precious to him — you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
– 1 Peter 2:4-5

The church is the temple of the living God. God lives in us through the Holy Spirit. But unlike the many temples built during this time, God’s true temple must not be allowed to crumble or suffer decay due to lack of interest or disrespect by God’s people. We are not lifeless stones. We are God’s living temple. We are still being put together by Jesus, perfectly formed and joined together, and made acceptable to God through his efforts.

Father God, form us into your temple. Make us holy. Purify our hearts. Draw us ever closer to your character and compassion. As we offer our individual bodies to you as living sacrifices, please draw us closer to each other and build us into the people you want us to be. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Where is your heart?

“The tragedy of life and of the world is not that men do not know God;
the tragedy is that, knowing Him, they still insist on going their own way.”
– William Barclay

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. – Romans 13:6 (NIV)

I really do hate paying taxes. But I have to admit, I enjoy many of the privileges and blessings that those taxes afford. Paul reminds us in Romans 13, that civil authorities are God’s tools to hold back anarchy, chaos, and lawlessness. As a Christian, I’m immune to most laws because my faith in Jesus is going to regulate my behavior far more strictly than a legal code. But I do have a responsibility (I “owe” it, Paul says) to be a good citizen, a good financial manager, a nice respectful neighbor, and a person who willingly honors those who have merited it.

Almighty God, I pledge my allegiance to you. You alone are Sovereign, Ruler, and King. But because you call me to honor my government, because you have so richly blessed me to be in a land such as this, because you have lavished your grace on me so richly, I commit to live today in a way that honors my allegiance to you, my citizenship in my country, and my respect toward those whom I meet this day. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

No Fear

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
– 2 Timothy 1:6-7 NIV

We are timid because we are fearful. We fear failure. We fear danger. We fear risk. We fear mistakes. But as Jesus’ parable of the talents reminds us (Matthew 25:14-30), playing it safe out of fear in matters of faith is highly displeasing to God! Because the Holy Spirit is personally within us, because the Holy Spirit leads, guides, empowers, transforms, enables, inspires, directs, convicts, and blesses us, we must not be timid. The Spirit’s influence is clearly seen in the release of spiritual power, the practice of loving fellowship and care, and the self-disciplined discipleship of Jesus’ followers. Let’s not be timid. Let’s be bold in the areas where the Spirit is at work in our lives!

Forgive me, Father, for the times I have been fearful and timid in living out my faith in Jesus. I ask that the Holy Spirit give me holy and wise boldness as I live for your glory, O God. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

God Bless Our Nation

Prayer is one of the most important actions during an election, next to voting. A vote made due to worldly concerns, overpowering emotions, or with cold logic that does not seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit is one that risks being a foolish vote. Throughout the Bible there are assurances that God will always guide us if believers turn to Him in prayer and ask for His help.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously
to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you”
(James 1:5).

Our Heavenly Father,

Thank you for being with us and for sending the Holy Spirit to comfort us and to guide us. Lord, right now it feels like there is so much at stake, and there is a lot of anxiety about the upcoming election. People are worried. Your Word says to be anxious for nothing, but in everything to come to You; I ask that you provide peace and comfort to the worried hearts of this country right now. Relieve their anxiety by helping them to focus on You and your will. Help those who feel anxious to instead feel Your presence. Please diffuse the spirit of anxiety across the nation, bringing understanding between all people. Reign over us, O Lord, instead of fear.

In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Sharing Our Faith

[Jesus said,] “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. … When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”
– Luke 12:8; Luke 12:11-12 NIV

In these verses, Jesus gives us two incredible promises. First, he assures us that if we publicly confess our allegiance to Him, then he will claim us as his own before the Father and the angels in heaven (Matthew 10:32). Then, he goes a step beyond the first promise: He tells us that we aren’t to worry even about what to say in difficult situations because the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say! No wonder the Holy Spirit is described as God’s seal of ownership and our guarantee of salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Father in Heaven, fill me with your Holy Spirit and guide me by your Spirit to say the things I need to say to honor Jesus with courage, conviction, love, and effectiveness. Holy Spirit, I thank you for your presence and help. In Jesus’ name, I offer my thanks. Amen.

 

Lord, choose my words for me.

[Jesus said,] “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. … When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”
– Luke 12:8-12

Jesus gives us two incredible promises. First, he assures us that if we publicly confess our allegiance to Him, then he will claim us as his own before the Father and the angels in heaven. Then, he goes one step beyond the first promise: he tells us that we aren’t to even worry about what to say in difficult situations because the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say! No wonder the Holy Spirit is described as God’s seal of ownership and our guarantee of salvation (Eph. 1:13-14).

Father God, fill me and guide me through your Holy Spirit to say the things I need to say to honor Jesus with courage, conviction, and effectiveness. Holy Spirit, I thank you for your presence and help, in Jesus’ name I offer my thanks. Amen.

Spending Our Time Wisely

The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
– 1 John 2:17

So much of what we pursue is fleeting. Once we acquire it, we have to try to preserve it because we know it will soon be gone. God has promised us that just as he is eternal and will live forever, so also are those who pursue a relationship with him and are committed to do his will. So let’s sit down and look at how we spend our time, our money, and our efforts and ask if what we are pursuing is really something that is worth having. Then let’s ask one more important question: “Even if it is worth having, is it going to last long enough to make a difference?”

Eternal Father, please give me the courage to be honest about what I am pursuing with my life. I want it to count for your cause. I want to make a difference for good. Some of that desire, I confess, is self-serving. However, dear Father, I truly do want to have a life that impacts others for good and that brings you honor. I don’t want to waste my time chasing after things that won’t last and don’t matter. Please give me the spiritual wisdom to follow your will and find your life rather than chasing the shadow values of my culture. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Open arms, open heart.

I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.
– Romans 12:1 (NIV)

Because God went first and sacrificed what is most precious to him to save us, he can ask us to surrender ourselves to him. Only one problem: The sorry ol’ sacrifice wants to keep crawling off the altar. We must offer ourselves, our will, our time, our heart, our commitment, to God each day. Otherwise, the altar is empty and our sacrifice is gone.

Holy and Righteous Savior, I want to surrender my life, my body, and will to you. But I confess, there are little things (and maybe some big things), that I keep from ever placing on that altar. Things I don’t want to give up. To the best of my ability, I will live for you today in a way that leaves nothing outside your Lordship and control. I offer you me — all that I have and am — to be yours today and all the forever I have. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Getting Closer to God

All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.
– 1 Peter 1:24-25 (NIV)

As the seasons change, the leaves fall, and the grass dies, we are reminded once again of how short our lives are. Despite the rapid advancements of technology, our deepest needs are addressed only by the eternal and proven will of God in Scripture. Whether you get your Scripture off the Bible on disk or from an old family Bible, access it today. Don’t you need a dose of the eternal today?

As I age, I am constantly reminded, O God, of my transitory stay on earth and your eternal reign in heaven. Give me a sense of my place before you as I seek your will in your Word. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.