Look What The Lord Has Done

“I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (Jer. 31 v. 33).

The prophet Jeremiah, called as a young boy, warned of the catastrophe that would befall God’s people because of their idolatry and sin and foretold their eventual return and restoration. Jeremiah wept over the waywardness and hardheartedness of his people and loathed having to pronounce judgement, but he could not suppress it because the word of God was like fire in his bones.

In declaring that "Every one will die for his own iniquity; each man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth will be set on edge” (Jer. 31:30) God was putting aside the doctrine of generational curses. This was an attack on playing the blame game – ‘let's blame our parents for the mess we are in’. The people were to take ownership and responsibility for their failure and sinfulness and start living up to God’s expectation. Too often we are prepared to exonerate ourselves and blame someone else.

In saying “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked" (Jer. 17:9) Jeremiah was saying Israel's problem was spiritual and needed a radical change. Lying, gossiping, stealing, murdering, raping, intolerance, corruption, xenophobia, pride are all signs of hearts that are spiritually sick. God can remedy and God has already secured that remedy. What was needed was a change from the inside out in depraved sinful man.   Hence the promise is for a change in the inner nature so that we are able to obey. Moses' old covenant was written on a slab of stone. Here God said, "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (v. 33).God’s "law" will be on their minds and will control their will.

As we begin 2011 we celebrate God’s activities in inviting us into a loving relationship The Covenant is not a contract in which God and human beings agree to provide particular goods and services for each other! It is not something that we have to do to create a relationship with God. God has freely and graciously already made it possible. Rather, the Covenant is the means of grace by which we accept the relationship and then seek to sustain it. It is therefore not so much about getting into a relationship with God as it is about staying in it. It is not about acquiring a relationship with God, but living within the loving relationship that God has already offered us. Simultaneously, God graciously sends us to do the work of him who “called us out of darkness into his marvelous light”. We are sent to work for the transformation of nations and institutions.

Since God is so absolutely committed to us, are we prepared to accept that as reality and commit ourselves God?  Hence with confidence we pray:

I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.

God our loving Father, Jesus our brother and the Holy Spirit our Comforter will be with us always.