Wisdom For The Day Devotional 25 May 2025 By Bishop Mike Okonkwo – God’s Covenant Is Guaranteed
TOPIC: God’s Covenant Is Guaranteed (TREM Devotional 24 May 2025)
“In the same day, the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.” (Genesis 15:18 KJV)
MESSAGE:
In Genesis 15, God had a conversation with Abram. Just like most humans in a similar position, Abram was thinking that Eliezer his servant would be the one to inherit him when he eventually died. And even though God countered that thought by reassuring him that Eliezer would not be his heir, Abram wanted further evidence because everything around him screamed ‘impossible’. There are many believers today, wondering to themselves how God’s promises will come to pass in their lives, but by the law of first mention, you can connect to what God did for Abram, to assure him. God cut a covenant with Himself concerning Abram.
A covenant is superior to a contract; whilst a contract involves the exchange of something of value such as money, skill or a piece of property, a covenant involves the exchange of something greater – the very essence of the personalities involved. A contract must be time-bound with all the attendant conditional clauses, but a covenant is enacted in perpetuity like marriage, without any clauses of conditionality. In other words, a contract is performance-based, whilst a covenant is acceptance-based, without any burdens on the other party. Therefore, when a contract says, “I will, if you…”, a covenant simply says, “I will…”.
In the Bible days, when people cut such covenants, they used animals. The choice animal is killed and cut into 2 halves, with each half placed opposite to each other, and blood in the center. The two parties then stand at each end of the sacrifice since both parties are supposed to bring something to the table. The two parties would walk through from both ends, meet in the middle, and pass themselves. This action seals the covenant. The only difference in this particular case however, is that Abram had nothing to bring to the table; there’s nothing that a mortal, fallible man has that is of value to the Eternal One. Neither Abram nor any man has what it takes to cut a covenant with the Almighty God. Abram was what I would call, “a sleeping partner”.
In covenants, the lesser or poorer person benefits more. In essence, the Creator and Possessor of all things, cut a covenant with Himself concerning Abram and his seed, which in this case is not Isaac, but Christ (Galatians 3:16). That is why you, having received Christ today, are a beneficiary of the blessings of Abraham (Galatians 3:29), that cannot be annulled. God, in a bid to demonstrate the immutability of His divine counsel of love towards you, has sworn by Himself that He will prosper you. Therefore, as He has said it, it must happen, because this covenant is validated not in the blood of bulls and goats, but in the precious blood of the Lamb of God – Jesus. Rejoice!
FURTHER READING
Genesis 15:1-15; Galatians 3:1-29
DAILY BIBLE READING
Morning – 1 Chronicles 25-27; Evening – John 9:1-23
Wisdom For The Day Devotional was written by Dr. Mike Okonkwo; Is the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM); a versatile man of God with over 30 years of dedicated service unto the Lord.
