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09 May 2020 - Covenant - Life with Others

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Devotion Sat 9 May 2020
Covenant- Life with Others

1 Samuel 20 tells about the friendship between David and Jonathan. In verse 16 it tells of the covenant they made with one another. Here we get a clear picture of covenant, one that is quite uncommon in the sense this is primarily not between God and His people but between two friends (and God as witness).

With this covenant we witness how Jonathan would fulfill his part, at a very high price. He sacrificed his relationship with the father. This chapter begins with Jonathan talking about his trusting relationship with the father, Saul. In the middle of the chapter we read of a huge fight between father and son. This story continues to show that Jonathan's ultimate sacrifice was himself- he almost died at the father's spear and he would not be the next king. Jonathan sacrificed fame, power and wealth for brotherhood.

In 2 Samuel 9 and 19 we see David's keeping his part of the covenant. In 2 Sam 9 tells us of the unthinkable, that David was seeking out Jonathan's family not to kill them (which is the expected) but to protect and provide for them. What is even more amazing is in 2 Sam 19, where there was a possibility that Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan could have conspired against David. What leaves us stunned in this story is that David did not bother to find out the truth. He simply restored Mephibosheth. Why did he act with such grace and mercy?  It is because of the covenant made between Jonathan and him.

Reflection: The covenant portrayed by them certainly teaches much of God's faithfulness to the covenant He made with His people (which includes all Christians). However may I bring your attention to the covenant between God's people, between brothers and sisters in Christ. At our baptism we do not just make a covenant with God but also with one another, declaring that we are God's family. Can you see how covenant is to be lived up? How faithful are we to the covenant among God's family? Do we give up on one another? Would our relationship withstand the trials of time, disappointment, injustice, selfishness, hurts and busyness? And would God finds stories of celebration, love,  grace, mercy, sacrifice, forgiveness and acceptance as part of the story of the family in St. Andrew's Church?

Prayer: Father in Heaven, teach me to realize I am in covenant with you and with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Tutor me to live a one. It is not easy. I often choose blame, anger, jealousy, fear ... like Saul. Help me to have the heart of Jonathan and David. Teach me to guard my hearts with love and grace that I would not stop loving like you. Help me build character like yours. In the Name of the Covenant-keeping God. Amen

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