Hebrews 8:8-9
8 But God found fault with the people and said:
‘The days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
9 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
and I turned away from them,
declares the Lord.
I have always found it intriguing that scripture generally highlights God valuing faithfulness rather than obedience, although both terms are used. How do they differ? Obedience seems to me to talk about rules and duty, whereas faithfulness talks about relationship and desire. Think about marriage, a good marriage isn’t based on doing what the other orders you to do, rather it is about prioritising and seeking the best for the other because of your love for them. The same actions may be taken, but these are fundamentally different things. God doesn’t want us to obey because we should, but to follow out of love – and that’s the attitude he has towards us too!
Father, we delight in your love and long to be with and please you.
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