Morning by Morning, January 3 - The New Covenant for a Happy New Year!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the King of kings and Lord of lords. Be King and Lord of my life and every moment of my day. ...
"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. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt--a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in within them, and I will write it on their hears; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more" (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
As we begin this New Year, I'm thinking of how You began a New Covenant with me. This New Covenant is not about the "dos" and the "don'ts" of the laws and the rules trying to be good enough to be loved and accepted by You. No, it's about recognizing and admitting that I can't do all that I wish I could do that would make me and my life better; and I can't not do all that I wish I could not do that would make me and my life better. It's about turning to You in deep humility and desperate dependence to recognize and admit that apart from You, I can do nothing (John 15:5). Even our most "righteous deeds" are "nothing but filthy rags" apart from You and Your grace at work within us (Isaiah 64:6 NLT).
Under this New Covenant, I never have to be apart from You, for Your Spirit is within me--writing Your law on my heart and empowering me to walk in Your ways by Your Spirit. By the power of Your grace, "(I'm) not in in the flesh; (I'm) in the Spirit; since the Spirit of God dwells in (me)" (Romans 8:9). And in the Spirit, You've set me free to live a "New Covenant" in Christ (Hebrews 9:15). I don't have to try harder to try to live up to the "dos" and the "don'ts" of some standard or goal I can never attain in my own power by my own will. Instead, I'm free! I'm free to "rest" in the work of the One who abides in me to will what is right and to do what is right (Hebrews 4:1-11). "For God is working in (me)," as I'm resting in Him, "giving (me) the desire and the power to do what pleases Him" (Philippians 2:13 NLT).
So as I enter this New Year, embracing the grace of Your New Covenant--resting from my own labors and wisdom to live each day trusting in Your power and guidance--I'm excited to see all You have for me; and I'm excited to give all I have and all I am to You! "That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.' ... And we have received God's Spirit (not the world's spirit), so that we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us!" (1 Corinthians 2:9-12) So by the power of the grace of God, I freely, gratefully embrace the New Covenant and the Happy New Year You have for me and all who love You! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
Friend, I pray you will live in the freedom and grace of God's New Covenant for you in Christ, will all His abundant blessing and favor for you the year, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same of me. God bless you and Happy New Year, my friend!
Friends, please come join us for our Evening of Worship for the New Year, where I will be joining others to lead in prayers for the New Year at Oak Hills Church, Crownridge Campus in San Antonio, tonight at 7PM in the West Sanctuary. All are welcome! God bless you and Happy New Year!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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