By Rev Stewart

When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “I am God Almighty, walk before me, and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous” – Genesis 17:1-2.

During Lent our churches are looking at the theme of Covenant across the Bible. Last week we had as a reading the story of the Covenant with Noah – that God would bless all creation. There is a very good reason why the sign of that Covenant (the rainbow) has become a sign of health, protection and inclusion in later generations. 

Keep looking for “rainbows” even in the tough times you might sometimes face, because God’s healing grace and protection is for all of us (and, no matter what we sometimes think in our darkest hours, that really does mean you too!).

But God’s Covenants can be more personal. With Abram the Lord appears to him, and tells him his name (a little while later Abram gets a new name as Abraham v. 5). Knowing someone’s name is the first step from being a stranger to becoming a friend. God is always the initiator of love, the fount of grace, the source of holiness – not us.

What does God require? To walk before him and be blameless, he tells Abram. At first that might seem a very tall order! But God accepts and honours even our baby steps on the journey of faith. Sometimes the smallest of steps is all we can do.

Perhaps we are feeling fearful. Perhaps we really don’t know the way ahead. Perhaps we need God’s Holy Spirit (often working through others) to direct our steps in the right direction.

Although we are not blameless ourselves, we know someone who is – our loving Lord Jesus. We can trust him and his promises.

Lent is of course leading up to the promises of the New Covenant in Jesus, as expressed at the Last Supper, and proclaimed on the Cross and in the Resurrection.

What is Abram’s response to all this? He falls down and worships – v.3. May that be our response too. As in the words of the Lenten hymn – 

The God of Abraham praise,

whose all sufficient grace

shall guide us all our happy days,

in all our ways:

he is our faithful friend:

he is our gracious God:

and he will save us to the end,

through Jesus’ blood.

God Bless!