DAY 172 - BIG PICTURE IN A YEAR - THE LAW

by Gillian D'achada

WHEN THE LORD FINISHED SPEAKING TO MOSES ON MOUNT SINAI, HE GAVE HIM THE TWO TABLETS OF THE COVENANT LAW, THE TABLETS OF STONE INSCRIBED BY THE FINGER OF GOD.

Exodus 31:18

Reading: Deuteronomy 30: 6; Jeremiah 31: 33; John 3: 3; Romans 8: 1-5; 2 Corinthians 3: 3; Galatians 3: 14; Philippians 2: 12-13

John D’achada once said: “The problem with the law is the stationery on which it is written.”

When the Bible speaks of having the law "written on our hearts", it is the equivalent of saying you should have "your heart circumcised" or you must be "born again". This is why Jesus was able to confront Nicodemus - and ask him how it was that he, a teacher of Israel, did not understand what it meant to be "born again". Being born of the Spirit had already been spoken of in the Old Testament. It was always only by the Spirit that the heart of man could be circumcised.

God promised Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31: 31) that He was going to make a new covenant with His people. This new covenant would not like the old one where His people would continuously rely on their own offerings and compliance with the law to save themselves, and still fail – but it would be one in which He himself would write the law on their hearts so that they would be His people, and he would be their God.

How amazing that you and I are the fulfilment of that new covenant. We received the Spirit when we were born again. The Spirit is the knife that circumcises your heart. It is the Spirit who writes the law of love on your heart.

We have reached the end of our studies in the Law. What can we takeaway from these studies? It is this - if you wish to honour God in this life, set your heart on what the Spirit desires. Listen to Him, desire to obey Him in all that you do. He will lead you into all truth, point you to Christ, and help you to love Him and love others. 

Prayer

Holy Spirit, I choose today to set my heart on what You desire, and not on what I desire. Set a fire in my heart that I may burn with the purposes that You have for my life – and may it burn away what remains of my sinful desires.

For the family

The Holy Spirit’s activity in our lives cannot be controlled by us – Jesus says He goes where He wills, like the wind. God does speak to us and reveal His will to us, but on this earth, we will only ever know in part. The Holy Spirit may not be visible to us, but we hear Him – our spirit speaks to Him and witnesses that He is living and active in our lives

Play this balloon game with your children as an object lesson that can be used to discuss the presence and ways of the Holy Spirit:

https://childrensministry.com/game-the-mystery-of-the-holy-spirit/

If the Holy Spirit is unseen, how can we know when He is present in our lives? Mark a line on the floor at opposite ends of the room. Tell kids that they’ll have a race to see who can make a balloon fly across the finish line first. Give each preteen a deflated balloon, and have kids spread out along one line. Tell kids that on “go” they should blow up their balloons and then let them go, allowing the balloons to fly toward the finish line.

Of course, none of the balloons will cross the finish line on the first try. Have kids run to where their balloons land, pick them up, and repeat this process until their balloons cross the finish line.

Afterward, bring kids together and read aloud John 3:8. Have kids discuss these questions with a partner.

  • What was it like trying to make your balloon go the way you wanted it to go?

  • How was this activity like or unlike trying to predict what the Holy Spirit

  • Why is it hard for us to predict what the Holy Spirit is going to do?

  • If the Holy Spirit is unseen, how can we know when he is present in our lives?

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