Our Lenten Journey: The Covenant

Monday in the Second Week of Lent, Year B

01 March 2021

Reading:Genesis 17: 1-7, 15-16

Scripture:Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations…your name shall be Abraham and kings shall come from you.’” (Genesis 17: 3,4,6)

Reflection: Covenants are promises or agreements between two parties. They are contractual and binding. Usually there are penalties for breaking a contract. Conditions and situations may change and alter the terms of the contract but we don’t have to worry about ANY covenant God makes with His people. He does not change. He is the same loving and gracious God now as He was then, and always will be. God’s covenants are all in keeping with His plan of redemption and salvation for us. His promises provide the framework for this plan. It is comforting to note that when the Lord establishes a covenant between Himself and humankind,  He keeps His promise and fulfills it at the appointed time, further revealing another chapter in His plan. 

When God spoke to Abram in Genesis 17 and made this covenant with him, – the Abrahamic Covenant – it was a seemingly impossible one. God promised Abram, land, descendants and blessings. The promised blessing would extend through him to all the peoples in the world.  God also changed Abram’s name to Abraham., meaning ‘father of many nations’.  In return, God would guide them and protect them and give them the land of Israel. Abram was 99 years old and his wife, Sarah, was way past child-bearing age. How would we have reacted if the Lord gave us similar news? Impossible for man, but for God, nothing is impossible. He is a way-maker and a miracle worker.  The following year, Abraham and Sarah had a son. At 90 years old, Sarah gave birth to a son. And as God had promised, Abraham would go on to be the father of many nations.

As we take the time to reflect during this Lenten season, let us hold fast to the fact that God’s purpose is working itself out; His is a plan that would lead Jesus to the cross to pay the price to free us from sin. As we continue to face difficult circumstances, we must remember that He is in control. It may seem as if He is far away at times, or things may not happen when we imagine they will. We can, however, rest assured His plan is in action, taking its course – for our ultimate good, and in His perfect timing.

Meditation: “And without faith it is impossible to please God…By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called…And he went out not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised…” (Hebrews 11: 6, 8, 9) Faith never knows where it is being led, but it knows the One Who is leading.   

Prayer: Thank You, Lord , that we can trust in Your promises, no matter how long they take to be fulfilled. Amen.

The St. Jude’s Writers

St. Jude’s Church

Stony Hill

Anglican Diocese of Jamaica and The Cayman Islands

01 March 2021