From My Reading of Our Covenant God

I’ve been continuing to read Our Covenant God by Kay Arthur, though the discussion has been a little on again, off again now that our hostess has stepped away from her blog. The discussion has been continuing over at Mudlark Tales, so if you’re still reading along and weren't aware of that, be sure to check over there. I’m very glad I picked up this book. I think in the discussion we are on about chapters 5 & 6, but I have kept on reading and am now up to chapter 14. I must say, it is all good, and the early chapters are so important for building the foundational understanding of what covenant is and how important a concept it is, but this chapter has just meant so much to me as I read it this morning that I wanted to write out a few thoughts while it was fresh in my mind.

In chapter 14, we learned that because we are in covenant with God, we have His strength and power. When He calls me to a task, He also empowers me to do that task. That was extremely comforting to me. I have often felt that I have not been a very good witness for Christ, or at least not nearly as vocal as I want to be, because I tend to be kind of shy with people, but when Kay talked about trusting God to grant His power to do what He has called us to do, it was just a great reminder that I need to be a willing vessel and to trust Him to give me words and boldness to be used of Him. This also applies to the trials we face in life. When we encounter various trials, we are told to count it all joy. We truly are able to do that when we start thinking on what a joy it is to know that we do not walk through those trials alone and that every one of them can bring us closer to our God and teach us patience and perseverance in Him. We have a Covenant Partner who is more than able to see us through every trial! Kay talked about laying aside our dependence on our own inadequate capabilities (stop trying to be independent!) and trusting Him for what is ours in Him as our covenant God. I can trust Him! Because of His grace, I trust in Christ, and my righteousness and hope are secure in Him. He will never leave me nor forsake me because I belong to Him in a binding covenant. This is so amazing!

Ephesians 6:10 says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” Then I read in the book, “You are not called to be strong in yourself – your own strength will run out – but in Him and in the strength of His might, which will never fail.” What an amazing thought and desperately needed reminder to those of us who far too often tend to try to do things in our own strength. I am called to stand with Him and to abide in Him. He is my strength and my shield, my strong defender. It isn’t that we are to work to generate the strength to do what He calls us to do by pulling up our boot straps and gritting our teeth, no! I can trust Him to be my strength. He is strong and mighty to save and strong and mighty to bring me through every trial and strong and mighty to enable and equip me to do the works He has prepared beforehand for me to do.

I am thinking and praying on this today. One thing that learning about covenant is doing for me is it is changing how I pray. It is really something to approach His throne with a better understanding of how wonderful it is to be in covenant with the living God because of our gracious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my advocate and great High Priest and the only One who is able to present me faultless before the throne!