The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
[Adapted from “Know God,” Dan Gregory, Sept/Oct 2021 Herald, pp. 38–39]
Pay attention! God says, “We haven’t walked this way before, but I’m so excited to walk it with you!” You can almost hear the giddiness in God’s voice, like a child waiting for you to unwrap the present they made and wrapped just for you. “Here’s the new thing we’re going to do together: I’m going to put my law in you, write it directly upon your hearts, and we are going to be as one.”
The covenant God extends is to the people. God will be known by and in and through a covenant people. This isn’t an individualistic thing, but something done in community. We know God best when we share in the rhythms of community. When the world changes, when we forget how to pray, when we find ourselves in the wilderness, it’s community that holds us to the light.
When our routine patterns and rhythms and places don’t make sense anymore, it’s in community that we discern together. In community, we can hear the promise of God. In community, we discuss new ways we’re coming to know God. In community, we strengthen one another through our sharing.
But it’s hard, isn’t it? It doesn’t feel good when we forget how to pray. It doesn’t feel good when the comforts we’ve known before disappear. It doesn’t feel good to wander in the wilderness. We want to go back to those places and times where God has been met us before because we long to hold on to the God who makes us feel secure.
But God doesn’t want us to retrace our steps. God wants to walk a new path with us, and that path often leads into the wilderness, into the unfamiliar, and into a way of knowing God that we haven’t experienced before.
The good news of the gospel is that the One who makes these promises is faithful. The same Spirit that calls us also accompanies us. Though all else may crumble and change, God is dependable. God will not abandon us.
To know God is to join the dance guided not by laws chiseled in stone but by principles and values that move our feet into new paths. To know God is to let the Divine heart of peace beat within us as our own.
The world changes. We change. The ways we relate to God and God relates to us change. But God still meets us, holds us in light, and says, “Let’s get to know one another in new ways today.” That is good news, indeed.
Prayer Phrase
“Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; persevere in prayer” (Romans 12:12).
Hope in the Present
Take a moment to pause and reflect on where hope is present in your life. Write down three things that give you hope. It could be a kind word from a friend, the warmth of the sun, or progress toward a goal. If you are facing difficulties, gently remind yourself: “Even now, hope is present. Even now, something new is possible.” Express gratitude for this hope knowing that each day is an opportunity for renewal.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.