Written on the Heart

The New Covenant is written not on stone, but on hearts, where love and forgiveness flow from within.

Devotional Credit: Immeasurably More by Ray Stedman
Photo Credit: Unsplash

Ray Stedman invites us to see the wonder of God’s promise of the New Covenant, first spoken through Jeremiah and fulfilled in Jesus. Unlike the Old Covenant, which placed demands on people from the outside, the New Covenant places God’s life on the inside. What the people of Israel could never accomplish by trying harder, God Himself has accomplished by giving a new motive, a new power, and a new family.

The first mark of this New Covenant is a new motive. God says He will write His law on our hearts and minds. No longer are we driven by fear, obligation, or external pressure. Instead, love is now the guiding motive. Love for God and love for what He has already done in us is the foundation of this new life. It changes everything because it flows from within rather than being imposed from without.

The second mark is a new power. God declares, “I will be their God, and they will be my people.” This is not a call for us to muster up strength for Him, but a declaration that He Himself will supply all that is needed. We live in dependence, drawing on His sufficiency, so that life becomes not about what we do for Him, but what He does in and through us.

Finally, there is a new family. In this covenant, all God’s children know Him, from the least to the greatest. This shared life creates a bond deeper than culture, background, or personality. When believers meet, even if strangers, they recognize the same Spirit of Jesus within. And all of this rests on the solid foundation of forgiveness. God remembers our sins no more. He does not hold our failures against us. Instead, He works through them, transforming us into the likeness of His Son. Stedman beautifully describes this as the New Covenant in action, as marvelous things quietly unfold in lives that rest in God’s provision.

Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture

My beloved child, I have not left you under the weight of external demands. In Jesus, I have written My law upon your heart and mind. You are moved by love, not compulsion. What I desire flows from within you because My Spirit dwells in you.

I am your God, and you are Mine. Do not strive to supply what only I can give. Rest in My power, for I am the strength of your life. As you trust Me, I act through you, and your life becomes a testimony of My sufficiency.

You are also part of a new family. Wherever you meet My children, you share a bond that is eternal. You are not alone, for My people walk together in the unity of the Spirit, with hearts joined in knowing Me and becoming more like My Son.

And never forget the foundation of it all. I have forgiven your sin and remember it no more. I am not against you, I am for you. Even your failures become the soil where My grace works to grow you into the image of Jesus. Walk in this covenant with confidence. It is Mine to uphold, and yours to enjoy.

Scripture References: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ezekiel 36:26-27, Hebrews 8:6-12, Hebrews 10:16-18, John 13:34-35, 2 Corinthians 3:6, Galatians 2:20, Philippians 2:13, Romans 8:1-4, Romans 8:28-30, Colossians 3:14.

Real-Life Analogy

Imagine switching from an old flip phone to a modern smartphone. The flip phone can only make calls and send simple messages, demanding effort and limitation. The smartphone, however, has apps, maps, music, photos, and constant connection built in. It carries within itself resources that change how you live day to day. The New Covenant is like that. The old system demanded from the outside, but the new one places everything you need inside, through the indwelling Spirit.

Today, when I am tempted to rely on my own willpower, I can quietly say, “Lord, I trust You to live Your life through me in this moment.” That simple yielding allows His Spirit to do what I could never produce on my own.

Prayer of Confidence

Lord, I thank You that I live under the New Covenant. You have written Your law on my heart, and You Yourself are the power of my life. You have placed me in a family where all know You, and You have forgiven my sin completely. I rejoice that everything rests on Your sufficiency, not mine. Today I walk in this reality with gratitude, trusting You to express Your life through me.