Law
Today’s Scripture Selection: Jeremiah 31:33
“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel…I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
There is an amazing, everlasting covenant that is spoken of in the Scripture. It’s not just about a legal agreement; though law is a part of it. It’s not just about a commitment between one person and another; although intimacy is a part of it. It’s not even about some sort of contract or treaty made between one people and their leader; though national identity is part of it.
It’s the everlasting covenant between God and His people; the “house of Israel.” And, by a sort of adoption, there is a similar agreement between some Gentiles and God too.
It’s spoken of as a process by which God’s law is “written” on the minds of His people; “written” on their hearts as well.
It can’t be broken – because God has initiated the covenant. And God always keeps His promises.
That’s why ultimately; forgiveness and grace are also a big part of the picture.
I love the idea of having God’s law both in our minds and our hearts. It brings together reason and passion; intelligence and love in a particularly beautiful way.
God loves both our minds and our hearts.
Maybe that’s why Jesus says we are to love God with both.
Law is a tricky business. Just ask the lawyers.
It can be complicated; and convoluted.
But, in God’s divine economy, somehow very complicated things are simplified.
Know God. Believe God. Love God. And love others as you have been loved.
Simple enough – don’t you think?
Prayer: Father, thank you for putting your divine law in my mind – and my heart. AMEN.
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By Paul Simrell
The Reverend Paul W. Simrell has served for over thirty years in a variety of congregational and institutional settings. He is a recognized minister with standing in the Virginia region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada and is nationally endorsed by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for specialized ministry in both pastoral counseling and chaplaincy. Ordained in 1982, he has served congregations in Kentucky, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. He currently serves as the pastor of Elpis Christian Church, a small, historic congregation located just a few miles west of Richmond, Virginia. Elpis is the Greek word meaning “expectant hope.” He also serves on the associate clinical staff of the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, Richmond, Virginia, both as a pastoral counselor and a ministerial assessment specialist, specializing in executive, clergy and relationship coaching. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Lexington Theological Seminary and has done advanced clinical training in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas and the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, Virginia. He is a Certified Pastoral Counselor, an ACPE Practitioner, and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is a Certified Facilitator of the Prepare-Enrich relationship assessment and skills-building program and served as a volunteer chaplain for over twenty years with the CJW Medical Center campuses in Richmond, Virginia. His avocational interests include playing the piano and drawing. He is very happily married to his wife Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell, a free-lance writer, who is also a Certified Facilitator for the Prepare-Enrich program.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
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