December 18
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 31: 31-32 ESV
Advent is a season of waiting, which is one of the hardest things for us to do. We wait for healing, for prayers to be answered, and we wait, hoping things will be better tomorrow than they were yesterday.
For the last couple of weeks we have been reading how God continues to reveal his plan for the redemption of mankind through the birth, death, and resurrection of his son Jesus. The next part of this revelation is through the prophet Jeremiah. Through him, God tells Judah that the days are coming for a new covenant, but first they are going into exile as a result of their idolatry. They must wait for the good things to come.
What Israel has to look forward to is the day when God will put his law within them, written on their hearts. This new covenant will be like the original, except that it will transform the heart of the believer and cast their sin as far as the east is from the west.
We read in Colossians 2: 13-14 “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” That is a covenant that is worth waiting for!
As you reflect on the words of Jeremiah, rejoice in the new covenant that circumcises your heart and transforms you from within. You don’t have to toil under the Law or make sacrifices in the temple—Jesus’ blood covered it all. Take heart in your seasons of waiting, knowing that God is working things together for the good of those that love him. He has created a way for you to be reconciled to himself—praise him for this gift and experience the transformation only He can provide.
Prayers for today:
Heavenly Father, I long to be closer to you. Let your Spirit move in my heart and transform it. Renew my mind so that I may discern your will and present my body as a living sacrifice. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
