March 26, 1998

Jeremiah 31: 34

A New Covenant

When I taught a career explorations course at WSU, students would take the course for a variety of reasons. Some because an advisor suggested it might be helpful. Some because they were anxious to choose a major. Some because they expected it to be easy credit. Accordingly, some students passed the course by completing only the minimum number of assignments with as little work or thought put into them as possible. Others, however, because they were seeking answers, put a great deal of effort and soul-searching into the exercises. They are the ones who really learned about themselves and the world of work.

In the Bible reading for today, Jeremiah refers to a new covenant, a new agreement between the Lord and his people. Under the old covenant, the focus was on outward obedience to external laws, much like students doing just enough to get by, with little real thought given to how assignments might be helpful to them. Under the old covenant, if people did exactly as the law told them, they were considered righteous. They often obeyed because they had to, for fear of punishment, rather than from any understanding of why it was good for them to do so.

Under the new covenant, the law would no longer come down externally, taught by those in high religious positions. Instead, the Lord promised to put the law directly in the minds and on the hearts of everyone! Now we can understand - in a personal way - his love, his forgiveness, and what he wants from us each of us. What a marvelous opportunity for an intimate, personal relationship with God!

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Prayer: Lord, thank you for the opportunity to know you personally. Help us to enter into this agreement with open minds and hearts, ready to learn what you want us to do. Amen. [Yesterday |Lenten Index | Tomorrow]