cov-e-nant (kuhv-uh-nuh-nt) noun an agreement, usually formal, between two or more persons to do or not do something specified
After the flood in Genesis, God made a promise to Noah to never wipe out the earth with another flood. God bound this promise with a symbol: the rainbow. Each time a rainbow would appear above the clouds, His people would be reminded of the covenant He made with the earth. The beauty of rainbows captures the beauty of this promise. They showcase the different colors of the world and the creativity that God so abundantly has.
In the New Testament, we were granted another covenant, this one promising new life. When Jesus died on the cross in order to save us, his blood became the sign of the new covenant. We will forever be saved through grace and Jesus' sacrifice. Although we don't have Jesus' blood to look at and remind us like we have the rainbow, we have other things, like God's Word and the symbol of the cross.
Throughout life's struggles, we can sometimes forget about God's promises to us. It can be easy to see a rainbow and be reminded of God or think of Jesus' sacrifice without truly soaking it in. Meditate on God's love each time you're reminded of a promise He's made. You'll be amazed to see how much closer your relationship with God will become when you can look to rainbows and the cross and see the multitude of ways God has blessed and cared for you.
Below are verses to help you meditate on God's perfect, loving, saving covenant with us.
Genesis 9:6 "Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."
Genesis 17:7 "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you."
Exodus 19:5-6 "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation..."
1 Kings 8:23 "And he prayed, 'O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.'"
Nehemiah 1:5 "Then I said: 'Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments."
Psalm 89:34 "I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered."
Psalm 105:8 "He always stands by his covenant - the commitment he made to a thousand generations."
Psalm 106:45 "He remembered his covenant with them and relented because of his unfailing love."
Isaiah 54:10 "'For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,' says the Lord, who has mercy on you."
Isaiah 55:3 "Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David."
Matthew 26:28 "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
2 Corinthians 3:6 "He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life."
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