Human Response 545: Make a Covenant with the Lord

2 Chronicles 29:10-11 Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us. My sons, be not now negligent: for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense.

Good king Hezekiah reformed the faith life of the kingdom by restoring proper temple worship of the one true God. He began his reforms by making a covenant with the Lord. All reform and changing life for the better begins with renewing the covenant God made with His people. He also charged the priests and Levites to renew the covenant and do their work and service to God by standing before Him in service and ministry. The priests’ charge was to make the sacrifices for the people to bring them before God and to serve them by praying for them. They represented the people to the Lord by bringing forth the covenant blood and praying.

We also respond to the Gospel by renewing the covenant God made with us through the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Through this covenant relationship the Lord is working in us to will and to do of His good pleasure, to re-form our lives according to His will expressed in the Word. We pray, “Holy be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” We do this every day in our time alone with God and every week as we receive the blood of the new covenant in church.

Then we minister as priests of God bringing our needs and the needs of others before God. In prayer in Jesus’ name we serve God by bringing others before Him. The Covenant reforms and transforms our lives.