I remember 2 years ago when I walked into a cell phone company to get a new phone. My wife and I chose the phones that we liked and that were suitable to our needs. The salesperson said you can take it today–all you have to do is read and sign this contract. We read and signed the contract that locked us in for the next two years and walked out of the store with our purchases.

Since the original contract was signed, we added the kids to the plan so they too could benefit from our contract. After 18 months of paying an outrageous amount for our phone bill, I asked my wife why our bill was so much.  She broke down the cost of each phone and the cost of service for each phone. This great deal that we thought we got for our service wasn’t so great after all. I was fed up paying so much. Our contract tied us to this company and we had no choice but to pay the bill or break the contract.

Tonight as I walked into the living room, I heard my wife reading to our 9 month old son.  The story was about David and God’s covenant with David.  The story focused on David defeating Goliath, but also pointed out that God had a covenant with David that could not be broken.

The story made three points:

1. The importance of the covenant and why David was able to defeat a giant because of the covenant He had with God.
2. We need to put our trust in God alone and in His word.
3. God is caring, compassionate, protects, and loves us with the ultimate love of a Father.

The story teaches children that they can put their trust in God just like David did and that God will never let them down.  God loves His children unconditionally whether we chose to follow Him or not.

This story got me to think about the difference between the contract we had signed and the covenant that God has with His people.

A contract is an agreement between man and another man.  In certain cases, a contract can be broken or even voided if all parties do not agree to the terms.  A contract also has an end date.  In our case, the contract was paid in full after 2 years and then we could end the contract

A covenant with God is God’s promise to man and God can never erase or break the covenant. A covenant has no end date. God made a promise to David so David knew God would give him the victory over the giant Goliath. Psalm 89:28 says: My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him.

God’s covenant with us is so much stronger and more meaningful than any contract we can sign on this earth.  His covenant will last through eternity if we chose to take part in the covenant. The covenant David had with God brought about the ultimate covenant with God’s people.

Stay tuned for more about the covenant you and I have with God.