Connecting to God - May 3rd
- scjune72000
- Apr 21, 2022
- 2 min read
Scripture Reading…Deuteronomy 7:1-11
Devotion
God reveals Himself to us and leaves no question about His devotion to us. That devotion is not based on our abilities, or our strength rather it’s based on His love for us. And because He set His love on us, there are specific expectations He has for our lives! Our covenant relationship with God is built on the fact that He gave Himself, first, to us!
“I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:33) Did you notice the sequence? God went first. And in the New Covenant, He went first in Christ, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” God first, then us.
Because He opens the door to our relationship, He gives boundaries, or structure to our agreement. He has expectations of us, and He also provides for our needs as well. God’s covenants always include both law & love. The law gives us certainty and the love gives us comfort. Remember when He provided the Israelites with the Law on tablets of stone, (Exodus 20). Those laws guided the people into a proper and righteous life. Giving them the instructions of how to relate to God and to one another! He provides all that we need in our relationship with Him.
Because “God is just” (2 Thess. 1:6) He does not let sin go unpunished. Because “God is love” (1 John 4:8) He never fails to keep His promises. In these attributes I (Trae) think we learn so much about our covenant relationship with God. His Justice required punishment for our sins. His love sent Jesus to take our place. “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed” 1 Peter 2:24. Praise God for our Covenant relationship in Christ!!
CHALLENGE FOR THE DAY
Walk at least one mile today.
Respond to the online community.
One way to connect to Jesus is to help someone else connect to Jesus. Write a letter, a text, an email to someone who you know is having a hard time. Tell them that they are great, and that Jesus loves them.
knowing that God loves us is comforting amid many of life's struggles. While we struggle with many aspects of daily life; financial, emotional, relationships, jobs, knowing God's love for us is always present, helps us see beyond that problem and to the next day, week, etc.
Verse 8- Thankful God loved us first and He keeps His promises!
Passages such as this help me to appreciate the grace God gives us under the new law. If the Old Testament laws were in effect today, I would probably have died in my teens! I thank God for the mercy and grace he gives me under the new law! But as is pointed out in our devotion text today, to stay in God's grace requires keeping his commandments. Jesus lays it out for us in John 14:15–if we love him, we will keep his commandments.
the writer’s firm statement of “know that… he is God, the faithful God…” reminds us about one of the themes that comes up through the Bible over and over again; God is faithful to us. And continues to be.
What a comfort to know that every sin I have committed and every sin I have yet to commit (we all sin daily) was carried to the cross and Christ took it on himself for me.