Jeremiah 31:33
"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

We just spent the last three weeks hanging out with Moses, meditating on his final days as he crossed that thin line between here and Eternity. Moses left a legacy of hundreds of laws defining right behavior. Under this Old Covenant, the motivation came from the outside. The demands were made on the people from without and dealt primarily with right action. "Do this, and I'll bless you, Don't do this, and I'll curse you." With a life of slavery less than two generations behind them, I can see how this was the message Israel needed to hear at that time.

But now, under the New Covenant, the law governing my right behavior before the Lord comes from within me. The demand put on me comes not from right action, but from a relationship with Jesus felt deeply inside my heart. Old Covenant: outside in; New Covenant: inside out. I think I get that.

I am forever grateful for having been born "after that time" on this side of Jesus in the history of redemption. As Jeremiah prophesied, the law is in my mind and written on my heart. God painted the words "Love Me. Love your neighbor.", within me and is now awaiting my response. He lovingly and patiently waits for my response with every action I take and every word I speak or write.

God himself is all the strength and wisdom I need. Everything I need comes from God and nothing I need comes from me. When God is at work through me, I am not trying to do something for God, I am allowing Him to do something for me. I am allowing Him to work through me in everything I do. At least that's the plan.

So, I prayed to the Lord for an evaluation. How am I doing, Lord? Oops. Watch out for those specific prayers! He answered immediately with a question of His own:

"Is the circle of people you have learned to love getting smaller, larger, or staying the same?"

Then I tried to think of how many "neighbors" I added to my circle last week. New people: 0. People I previously didn't care about one way or the other: 0. People I previously couldn't stand: 0. I think I have added 2 in the last month or so. Oh, Lord, it is getting larger, but not in biblical proportions. Surely, we can do better than that. Pray for a change of heart with me, won't you?

Lord Jesus, I want so much for people to know that I have been with you this day. Help me enlarge my circle of neighbors. Show me, lead me. Heal me. Change me. Unleash me. Break the binds which hold me back from doing your work through me. Do whatever it takes. I am ready and willing to become a better minister of the New Covenant to the people who need to see Your face shining from behind my own. Let them see that You are my God and that I am one of your people. Amen.