It seems that some days are darker than others, some weeks are harder than other, some months are uphill climbs, some years get lost in the stress of day-to-day living. We may be in a time like that. We need some good news.

Here’s some.

Thousands of years ago God entered history by distinguishing himself above other gods, entering into a relationship with man, his creation – a creator and his creation hanging out. Genesis recounts several stories showcasing this phenomenon in its early chapters. When Abram comes on the scene, God ups the ante. He enters into a blood covenant with Abram. This was unique – one would expect that a god would make demands on people, not that he would make promises to them. The sign of that blood covenant was circumcision. Men shed blood to show their commitment to the covenant.

We know how that turns out. It turns out like nearly all covenants that we are responsible to hold ourselves to… failure after failure.

God isn’t done. He doesn’t give up. He speaks the final Word.

Picture Jesus, the night he was betrayed, having dinner with the disciples who have stayed with him. They have finished the meal and he holds up a cup of wine and says, “This cup represents the new covenant between God and man. This is a covenant sealed in my blood.”

Can you believe it? We were powerless to keep the covenant, so God turned the whole thing on its head and made promises to us that depend on his faithfulness, not ours. It becomes all about him and not about us. God is both promise maker and promise keeper. All parts of the covenant depend on him, the only one who is dependable!

That is GOOD NEWS.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. – John 16:33