God's Vision: Covenant Devo

August 5th, 2018

Devotional

“God’s Vision: Covenant” - Genesis 17: 1-16

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Monday: “Covenant” - Genesis 17: 1-4

  The Old Testament tells the story over and over again about the need for the people to re-establish a relationship with a holy God. It’s the story of God who made way after way for the nations to come to the Holy One, but repeatedly they turned away, wanting to go about things in their own timing and by their own means. 

  One of the ways that God tried to draw the people back was by forming and relying on covenants. Covenants are promises, blessings, or commandments, made between two or more parties that can essentially say what is expected of each party. One of the images that comes to mind often with the word covenant is the promise God made with Israel when rescuing them from the hands of the Egyptians, saying that they would be his people and he would be there God.

  But well before that covenant was made, we had today’s covenant between God and Abram. Abram is being told that if he leaves that land that he has known and follow where God leads, God will make him the father of nations. His name will be great and will be known by kings and rulers. The sign of this covenant, the blessing of God, was to be the circumcision of males, as an outward sign of an inward promise. 

  What are some of the covenants that we have in our lives today?

How are these similar and different from our covenants with God?

Prayer: Jesus, while we may no longer have the same outward sign of an inward promise as Abram had with God, we know that baptism, too, is a covenant.  A promise we make with you and with the community of faith. Reminds us this day of our baptismal vows and embolden us to live into them. 

Tuesday: “What’s in a Name” - Genesis 17: 5

Names are important because they are to be a reflection of who we are. However, I think that we have lost some of the power of names in our culture. Did you ever notice that when you used to ask people about their name they would tell you a story - of a dear family member or friend that they were named after? Now it seems more names are coming from lists of what are popular at the time instead of stories. We have lost some of the power of names.

  But it wasn’t that way in the Old Testament. Names were of the upmost importance. Especially when God re-names people.You are not who you once were. God renames people to show a change within them, a change that it vital to who they will be. God’s vision embodied, if only they will follow

What is the significance of Abram being re-named Abraham?

Prayer: Lord, as we reflect today on the power of names, we praise you. We thank you that you rename each of us as well, inviting us to be named as your own through the power of baptism. Take us unto yourself, Precious Lord, and use us to live out your vision in our churches, homes, and communities, we pray. Amen. 

Wednesday: “I Will” - Genesis 17: 6-8

What I love about this promise that God is making with then Abraham is that God has to know that this promise is being made with broken people. Even as great as Abraham will become, God knows that he isn’t perfect. He and Sari are certainly going to screw up along the way, yet God chooses them anyway, and takes their brokenness and redeems it for the sake of the nations.

  As another sign of this blessing God says all the things that God will do for them and in them. See covenants aren’t initiated by the people, friends, they are started by God and are above a sign of God’s faithfulness towards us.

What reminders do you have of God’s promises and faithfulness towards you?

Prayer: Lord, we trick ourselves into thinking that we are in control. That we have it all together. That everything we do is of our own hand. Break us from this disbelief, O Lord, and open up our eyes to see your hand of blessing and promise in our lives. Amen. 

Thursday: “A Sign” - Genesis 17: 9-14

Here’s this couple, well into their 90s, past child bearing years, being told that they would  be the father and mother of nations even though they currently didn’t even have one child. But God is in control. God is telling them that their name would be made known, even though currently they weren’t known to anyone as they wandered from place to place, but God is in control. They were told that they would have a place because of God, even though right now they were nomadic, but God is in control. And the outward sign of all of this was circumsion. 

When we come to Jesus, as broken as we may be, Jesus says “you are mine”. When we come to Jesus, we are reminded that it isn’t by what we have done, but by the love of God. In the Gospel of John we find, “you did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appoint you to go and bear much fruit.” And our outward sign is baptism. 

Our covenant with Christ, like that covenant Abram and God made so long ago, changes us. We may not have  a name change, but our lives change. How we perceive ourselves change. God takes the brokenness in our lives and uses it, yes even our brokenness, for the sake of the Kingdom of God. People around us notice the change in our hearts and God uses us to spread the Good News.

How has your relationship with Christ changed you?

What are the outward signs of these inward changes?

Prayer: Lord, we come today to repent. To confess the times that we have not lived into our covenant with you. The times we have looked more at the outward symbols then the inward changes. Renew us. Remind us. And transform us, we pray. Amen. 

Friday: “Come From” - Genesis 17: 15-16

God wasn’t finished, yet, though. God continued on in explaining the covenant by re-naming Sarai as well. God’s vision kept expanding, kept growing, until Abraham couldn’t miss the fact that not only would he and Sarah be blessed, but the nations. 

Sometimes we miss out on God’s vision because we only want to hear how it will effect us. How it will grow us. But God’s vision is limitless and can transform so many lives, if only we are obedient. 

Let us join together in praying that God’s vision be revealed us to us and that we have the faithfulness to be obedient to its leading. 

  How can God use us to bless the world?

Prayer: Lord, we come this day seeking your vision. Not just a vision for us, but a vision for this town, this community, this world. Help us see, glimpse by glimpse how your grace can work in and through us to transform people’s lives. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “God’s Vision: Going Places” - Genesis 27 and 28. 

Family Activity: Tell your children the history behind your name, if you know it. Then tell them how you chose their name. Why are names important?