Readings for today: 2 Kings 12-13, 2 Chronicles 24
God always keeps His promises. He made a promise to Noah never again to destroy the world by a flood. He made a promise to Abraham and Sarah to give them a son and make Abraham the “father of many nations.” He made a promise to Isaac and Rebekah and to Jacob and Leah and Rachel to make their family a people He would call His very own. He made a promise to Moses to deliver God’s people from slavery. He made a promise to Joshua to go before him into the Promised Land. He made a promise to David to always give him a descendant to sit on Israel’s throne. In the ancient near east, such promises were sealed by a covenant. An agreement between two parties outlining their responsibilities. If one party breaks the covenant, the other party is not only freed from it’s obligations but is justified in taking revenge. Not so with God. Though His people abandon the covenant over and over again, though they refuse to obey it’s conditions and live by it’s terms, God remains faithful. He never lets Himself off the hook.
“But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has he cast them from his presence until now.” (2 Kings 13:23) These are stirring words especially for the Christian. We know God is so committed to keeping His promises that He sent His only Son to fulfill not only His obligations to us but our obligations to Him! Jesus took our place. He became the faithful “covenant-keeper” on our behalf. He paid the price we owed. He died the death we deserved. He carried the full weight of God’s righteous judgment of human sin, turning it aside through His atoning death on the cross. This is how committed God is to us! He will never leave us or forsake us or abandon us or grow impatient with us or cut us off. His grace is eternal. His love never-ending. His mercies new every morning. His faithfulness is greater than we can ever know.
So what about us? How can we show this same faithfulness not only to God but to one another? How can we extend this same grace to those around us? This same love to those who find themselves lost and lonely? How can we be merciful to others as Christ was merciful towards us? There are so many divisions in our world. So many divisions in our churches. So many divisions in our families. We sin against each other. We disappoint each other. We let each other down constantly. And yet the call to covenantal faithfulness remains. To walk with each other through the darkest valleys where life often takes us. To love each other even during those times when we are unlovable. To extend grace upon grace towards each other when we inevitably fail. Only God can give us the strength to do this and the good news is He promises to do just that for all those who would seek Him. All you have to do is ask. Make sure to ask God to give you what you need so you can serve those you love today!
Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 14-15, 2 Chronicles 25-27