He is the Lord our God; his judgements are in all the earth. Remember his covenant for ever, the word that he commanded for a thousand generations, the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac. I Chronicles 16:14-16a
When we are born our parents make a covenant, be it spoken or unspoken, to nurture, protect and teach us children to be mindful of what it means to be a responsible, contributing persons in the world.
Growing up in a Georgia small town, between when I started first grade through third grade, I used to “run away from home.” My father defined “running away from home” as me going somewhere on my bicycle without telling him or my mother. He had a unique whistle that could be heard all over town. I never ventured so far that I could not hear the whistle. When I heard it, I would peddle furiously back home. Once there I was admonished to “never do that again.” The consequences were always serious, with “a good talking to.” My father would always precede the punishment with, “I’m doing this because I love you.”
Once I had my own children, I understood my father’s efforts and punishment were truly motivated out of love and a sincere desire for me to be mindful of what it meant to be nurtured as part of our family. Being a preacher, he wanted me to understand what it meant to be a child of God.
There are times in our lives when we forget our covenant with God and stray from the nurturing love and compassion of our Creator. Things happen that WE interpret to be God’s punishment. However, we impose this punishment ourselves when we are not mindful of our relationship with God. God wants us to be ever mindful of our covenant , because God is NOT the enemy. So, let us be mindful of God’s expectations as we live out our lives in fellowship with our Divine Parent.
Prayer: Keep us in your company, O God, that we may always be mindful of your presence, guidance, wisdom and love. Amen.
John B. Tate, Jr.
Metropolitan Memorial
Lenten Devotional 