Daily Devotions
A Relationship
Title: A Relationship
Reading for August 12: Jeremiah 28-31
"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
Jeremiah 31:32
God wants a relationship with us.
This text speaks of a covenant between God and his people Israel. A covenant is an agreement between two parties. However, this is no ordinary agreement. More than a simple agreement or contract, this covenant is a matter of the heart!
God wants an intimate relationship with us. He wants our hearts. We think of heart based religion as a New Testament concept, but if you go back and read Deuteronomy you'll see that the heart has always been God's desire (Deut 4:9, 29; 6:5, 6; 8:2; 10:12, 16; 11:13, 18). God gave commands to Israel, but he was looking for more than just outward obedience. He was looking for a complete transformation of the heart. He wanted us to love him and him alone.
But it was impossible to accomplish this under the covenant given by Moses. The old covenant didn't solve the problem of sin (see Romans, Galatians, Hebrews). Under the new covenant, we can be freed from both the guilt of sin and the power of sin. The guilt of sin is taken away as the record of our debt has been nailed to the cross (Col 2:14). The power of sin is broken as we live under the freedom of the Spirit of God (2 Cor 3:6).
Are you living under the burden of sin? Are you living with guilt? Are you a slave to sinful habits and temptations? God sent his Son and his Spirit to set you free from both.
Father, someone reading this devotion
