Read:
Life is filled with contracts, from mortgages, leases,car deals, to college or military enrollment forms. Even your cell phone came with a contract. Every contract is an agreement between two people or groups of people. Each party agrees to a set of terms – “I’ll do this and you’ll do that.” If one side breaks the contract, there will be a penalty, usually a financial one.
In our English translations of the Bible, you may or may not have noticed the word LORD is sometimes in all capitals. This signals for us that the name for God being translated is "Yahweh." It is the proper name of God, like how "Zeus" or "Baal" are names of false gods. In our Bible reading today, Yahweh makes a covenant with Abram, and the penalty for breaking the contract was death. Even in this, God was promising a savior who would die for our broken promises.
Throughout the Bible, the LORD made promises to people. In Genesis 15, he promised Abram (later called Abraham) that he would be the father of a great nation, that he would be given land, and that the world would be blessed through him. He promised all of Israel that he would send a savior. He promised Mary that she would give birth to a son, and he would be that promised savior. God has kept each promise he has made.
What does that mean for us today? God is still the covenant-keeping God, so we can trust him to keep his word. The word which says we’re saved by grace through faith. The word that says we’re adopted as his children. The word that says Christ will come again. These promises give us hope and peace, and that allows us to introduce others to Christ and together fully follow him.
Prayer: Dear God, Jehovah, thank you for being faithful to always keep your promises. I know I can trust you and rest in you. Help me to take this message of hope in the promise-keeping God to my family, friends, neighbors, classmates, and colleagues. Help me to introduce others to Christ and together fully follow you. Amen.