GOD’S COVENANT

A covenant is an agreement, pact or contract. It is a vow or a promise, which involves the exchange of gifts or benefits and is mutually rewarding to the participating parties. Covenants also transcend generations and continue to be observed by the offspring of the relevant parties. Biblically, a covenant is given rather than earned and it represents the agreement between God and the Israelites. This particular covenant is interesting because one party benefited more from this agreement. What can one offer an omnipotent and omniscient God, who owns the cattle upon a thousand hills?

Our covenant with God guarantees innumerable blessings but let’s examine a few.

Success: Through our covenant, we are able to live a fulfilled life and experience and achieve the things, which were once deemed impossible. Genesis 12:2 shows that through the covenant, instead of receiving a fleeting gift such as happiness, we become the blessing.

Owing to the sacrifice, which was made for us at Calvary, we may call ourselves Abraham’s seed and partake of God’s covenant with His children. We have a divine contract with the Almighty God and He does not renege on His promises. We did nothing to merit this benevolence. Our responsibility is to ensure that we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth.

Galatians 3:29 says ‘…if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise…’
The word of God reveals that when we wait on God, we shall renew our strength and mount up on wings as eagles.

Genesis 17:2&7 say, ‘…I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers…I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for generations to come to be your God and the God of your descendants after you…’

Provision: Galatians 4:4-7 says, ‘…when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children…God has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, and now you can call God your dear Father. Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, everything he has belongs to you...’
Our assurance in God’s faithfulness would end our need to fight or toil in order to survive. We have rights, which the bible can attest to. The word of God demonstrates that God watches over His children and appears in the midst of the fire.

As covenant children, purchased with the blood of Christ on Calvary, we need not worry about our circumstances. God is dedicated to
providing the necessary resources, which we require and He will uphold His promise to guarantee our success.

Relationship: In the Old Testament great men of God such as Abraham and Moses partook of a covenant with God. This covenant facilitated the development of a relationship between them. They learned to trust God whole-heartedly because He was always faithful to them. As covenant children, we come to recognise the voice of our Heavenly Father and just as husbands and wives tend to complete each other’s sentences, we realise that God knows our every waking thought. By nurturing a relationship with God, we acquire His wisdom and learn to think like God; love the things that He loves; honour Him and shun those things which would be harmful to us. In return, His intervention in our life will be without limit. God’s word for us this year confirmed that this is our year of rest. Although the enemy might try to discourage us by hindering the manifestation of these promises, we cannot become frustrated. Psalm 27:14 reminds us to ‘…be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord…’ Job 13:15 says ‘…though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…’ . This month, we must remember that our Heavenly Father made us a promise and He shall not forsake His word.

We must remind Him of His promises in order to demonstrate our trust in and submission to Him. He is loyal. He watches over His word to perform it. The bible tells us in Isaiah 55:10-11 that the word of God shall not return to Him without fulfilling that which He sent it out to accomplish. Psalm 89:34 says, ‘…my covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of my lips…’ Therefore we must enunciate the promises and recall God’s word to breathe life into our situation. God is gracious and merciful; He shall not forsake us and His grace shall be evident in our life.

This is our year of rest and the word of God shall come to pass in our life.