Ohhh cookie, cookie, cookie starts with C

The letter C 

When Melissa and Jacob were young they would walk hand in hand to the bakery counter at the grocery store and sing the Cookie Monster song: : "C is for cookie it's good enough for me..." This charming act of innocence generally garnered a cookie for Mom too. I mean, who could resist two adorable babes singing for their treat?

Once I was able to push the cookie song out of my head this week, I could focus on a Christianese word for my iBlog challenge. I received a number of suggestions for the crescent shaped member of the alphabet. I appreciate all the input, it helps my creative juices flow. Rita Garcia threw the first word my direction and it seemed to be the one that kept returning to me like last night's pizza.

♥ ♥ ♥

Have any of you had a childhood best friend that you made a promise to be friends forever? Back in my day we'd do things like prick our fingers and smear our blood together, or spit in our hands and shake on the deal. We'd do just about anything for our bff...even beat up a bully that mercilessly teased her and made her cry, just because she had a ton of freckles. (I'm just sayin')

I guess you could say we had an unofficial covenant friendship, like Jonathan and David.

^{1 Samuel 18:1-4} After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. ...  And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.

A covenant is a promise to commit to something. God made covenants to Noah, Abraham, Moses...the list goes on and on. His covenants were promises that if they obeyed Him, He would keep His promise to guide, protect, multiply their families, give land, etc. God is the originator of covenants (duh...He's the originator of everything).

When we get married we enter a covenant arrangement. Promises are exchanged in the form of vows, papers are signed like a contract, rings are exchanged as a token,  and the deal is sealed with a kiss. (much better than a spit shake)

When Jonathan made a covenant with David he knew it had holy implications. Even though David now stood between him and his rightful place on the throne, he still loved him as he loved himself. The scripture tells us he basically stripped down to his skivvies and gave everything to his best friend, a token of his vow of friendship. I guess that's where the term "He'll give you the coat off his back" came from.

Of course we know that the ultimate covenant is laid out by Jesus in Matthew 26:28 and 1 Corinthians 11:25:

 "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."

 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

Here Jesus is sealing the most important deal ever in a somber exchange, promising that his blood will cover our sins in this new covenant.

We may make covenants that are sealed with a spit shake, an exchanging of rings, giving the coat off our back...but Jesus sealed His covenant to us with the shedding of his own blood. Each time we drink that cup at communion time, it is a reminder of a covenant made between Jesus and mankind that if we believe in Him, our sins are covered by the shedding of his own blood.

Have you joined into a covenant agreement with Jesus?





Mari's definition of Covenant:  A solemn agreement. A formal promise to uphold that agreement, often sealed with some form of exchange.