The Harmoniously Committed

Scripture: Jeremiah 32:40

"I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.

Insights: Today’s verse brings us to the very practical aspect of this week’s passage.  God has called us to be His children and to be faithful to Him.  This commission is something we are absolutely incapable of accomplishing in our own strength, power, thought, activity, etc.  As sinful human beings we are always going to falter on the side of self and sin, but because of that new heart and new way we learned about yesterday, we now have a heart that will not turn away from God.  That truth is the message of today’s verse.  Because of the everlasting covenant we have with God because of Jesus’ work at Calvary, we are able to live life victoriously because of His Spirit that indwells us.  We now are capable of living out this proper fear of the Lord in our daily lives.  In John 15:5 Jesus tells us, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”  Today’s verse is stating this same truth just from an Old Testament perspective.  This truth is the key to a flourishing and growing Christian life.  Every aspect of the Christian life is about a relationship with the Lord.  God has done us good (as this passage indicated) by giving us His Spirit.  The problem with the Church of America is we are anemic because we are not abiding in the Vine.  We are faithful to an organization we call the Church, but we are not actively alive in the Body of Christ because we fail to abide.  The average church attender does not have a quiet time each day with the Lord.  The average church attender does not have a deep and devoted prayer life with the Lord.  The average church attender is not reproducing new babies in Christ because they are not abiding with the Lord.  Today’s verse, however, tells us we can have all of those things in our life if we abide in Jesus, because then we will not turn away from Him.  Beloved, pursue Jesus.  Start by worshipping Him this coming Sunday which is Easter and celebrate the remembrance we have in Jesus’ resurrection.  To God be the glory!

Questions:

1. Are you actively abiding with Jesus?
2. What in your life is preventing you from remaining faithful to the Lord?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, because of the Spirit You have given me I am able to rest in Your grace and live a life of obedient faithfulness to You.  Keep me sensitive and pliable in Your hands throughout this pilgrimage of faith.  Amen.