Hebrews 8:1-13

Be Still: Jesus, open my eyes to see you rightly today. As I spend time in your Word, would you transform my heart and mind. Come and have your way. Amen

Read: Hebrews 8:1-13

This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel
    after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
    and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.

No longer will they teach their neighbour,

    or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’

because they will all know me,

    from the least of them to the greatest. (v10-11)

Encounter: Being told something and knowing something are entirely different. To experience truth for ourselves changes our behaviour. For example, when my mum told me that eating ten brownies at once wouldn’t be good for me, I didn’t believe her. But when I experienced the consequences (Urghhh!) of eating ten brownies, I knew it wasn’t good for me. I never did it again!

Rules, expectations, moral codes can, at best, keep us in check. But if we don’t understand the reason for them, they quickly become hard to follow. Conviction is key in motivating us to shape our lives, actions and thoughts in the right direction.

God knows this about us! He knows we struggle to do as we’re told – so he promises a new covenant, a new way, for us to follow him. Instead of giving instructions and waiting to see how we perform, he promises an internal transformation, a reshaping of our inner compass.

'I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.'

This is not about better self-control, but about changed desires – learning to want what God wants. The Christian life is not lived by gritted teeth obedience, but by a re-formed heart. Thank goodness! 

This kind of change is rarely instant – it happens gradually, often beneath our awareness, as God patiently writes his ways into us through Scripture, prayer, repentance, and an open spirit. We may not notice it day by day, but over time we discover that the pull of sin weakens, and God's pull strengthens. Our compass becomes aligned to him.

Apply: Where do you feel tempted to reduce faith to rule-keeping or external performance? Why not invite God to reshape your desires and instincts?

Devote: God, thank you that you are changing me from the inside out. Write your ways on my heart and reshape my inner compass. Help me to trust the slow, faithful work you are doing within me and live my life for you.