A couple weeks ago we started class on Genesis here at
NTBI and I can hardly believe how much I have gotten out of it. I knew it held a lot, but I never knew just how deep one could go. It's unbelievable.
We talked a lot about the unconditional covenant between God and Abram (later to become Abraham) which states that God will bless Abram, his family, generations to come, and so on. So what exactly is an unconditional covenant? Typically in the Old Testament when a covenant was made the sacrificial animals would be cut in two and the people making the covenant would pass in between almost as in saying, "If I do not keep this covenant my blood will be shed like that of these animals." Well in chapter 15 of Genesis we see no evidence of Abram passing through but rather God portrayed himself as a smoking firepot with a blazing torch being the one who passed through...the only one according to the text. This means that the covenant does not rest of Abram and his faithfulness or lack of, but it rests on God and God alone. He is the only one to passed though the covenant, and He is the only one responsible for keeping His promise. Of course He wants Abram to trust in Him and be faithful, but in the end God pledges to still be faithful whether that is the case or not.
I was thinking about this the other day when I found out my friend here at NTBI (Ally) and I may soon be working at the same job (still praying!). I remember just thinking how good God is to me. There's no reason for Him to be good to me. He doesn't owe me anything, I don't deserve anything, and yet there He is, day after day, being faithful and kind beyond reason. What a great Father I have. I am blessed. This also reminded me of when I was in India and I realized that my dearest friend Katie and I would be starting NTBI in the same semester, something I never expected, I never even thought I would end up here at all and then to be in the same class even! How unnecessarily kind of God? After thinking these things through and asking why I realized that it's because of His unconditional covenant with us that is everlasting, it's still going today, He is still blessing me through His promise to Abraham. How amazing.
Thank you Jesus for being eternal and kind. I love you and dream of understanding your heart and yourself more each day.
Hakuna Matata
