God Makes All Things New [A New Covenant] Devotions Day 2

Written on Your Heart

Devotional
There's something powerful about the difference between external rules and internal transformation. When rules are written on stone tablets, they remain outside of us... something we must constantly reference and struggle to remember. But when something is written on your heart, it becomes part of who you are. Under the old covenant, God's law was literally carved into stone tablets. The people had to look outside themselves to know what God required. They needed constant reminders, external accountability, and religious leaders to interpret and enforce the rules. It was a relationship maintained from a distance. But God promised something revolutionary through the prophet Jeremiah... a new covenant where His laws would be written on human hearts. This isn't about memorizing more Bible verses or following a longer list of do's and don'ts. It's about God's Spirit living within us, transforming our desires and motivations from the inside out. When God's law is written on your heart, obedience flows from love rather than obligation. You don't follow God's ways because you have to, but because you want to. Your transformed heart naturally gravitates toward what pleases Him. This creates an intimate, personal connection with God that external rules could never provide. This heart transformation is what makes the new covenant so superior. Instead of trying to change your behavior through willpower and external pressure, God changes your heart. When your heart is changed, your actions naturally follow. You become someone who loves what God loves and desires what God desires.

Bible Verse
But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. - Romans 7:6

Reflection Question
Can you identify areas where you're still operating from external rules rather than allowing God's Spirit to transform your heart's desires?

Quote
We see this new covenant will be written on the hearts of the people rather than on tablets of stone. This emphasizes an intimate and personal connection with God, where His laws are internalized within believers, guiding their thoughts and guiding their actions.

Prayer
Father, I don't want to just follow external rules... I want You to transform my heart. Write Your laws on my heart so that my obedience flows from love, not obligation. Help me to desire what You desire and love what You love.