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My sister always wanted to make deals with us. She’d try to trade us something for something else. We discovered early on that her deals often worked out better for her than for us. After pointing this out to her, she planned better deals—trying to give better than what she’d receive. Or at least an even, fair trade. As kids, we were enticed by her deals. Today, her deals are very grown up, and much more fair. We are as delighted as she is when agreeing to them.

Do you do this? Trying to negotiate a better deal than what’s offered? There is one deal that’s better than all the deals we offer to each other. God’s ‘deal’ is giving us His word with a promise attached. He calls it a covenant. God makes no promise without a covenant. Covenant is the most important word in the Bible. It means deal, pact, agreement, promise, or contract. God made covenants with His children. He made covenants with specific people and the nation of Israel. A covenant is permanent, everlasting.

God’s covenants with people are something like when Dad says he’ll take you to the circus this coming weekend. Dad gives you his word and there’s a promise attached to it. Dad probably told you to clean your room and help Mom before he’d take you to the circus.

God’s covenants are His Word with a promise attached, too. Usually we don’t see the promise happen today. Or even as soon as this weekend. But God’s promises are as good as gold. He wants something from us, too. He wants us to keep Him first in our hearts. We’re so sure that He’s going to make good on His promise that we wait in expectation. “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1).

Take Home Nugget
When we see promises in the Bible, we often think that they are not meant for us. Don’t listen to the devil trying to steal away God’s covenant from you. Paul tells us in Galatians 4:6-7 that we are heirs, and can call God the Father, Abba. We are not slaves, but heirs along with the Jews of the Bible. Their covenants, or promises, are ours as well!

Oh Father God, how awesome You are
To bless Your children with promises that are above par.

Your covenant with us hinges on our part

Which is keeping Your Son Jesus first in our heart.