“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it in their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord, ‘because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” 
Jeremiah 31:33-34

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 
Ezechiel 36:26-27

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“Do what you’re supposed to do when you cross the street.” This was the sound advice given to schoolchildren by Miss Dottie, an 89-year-old  school crossing guard who had just retired (as seen on national news). She lovingly encouraged elementary kids to obey in order to be safe. From your own childhood, you may recall phrases like “Look both ways before crossing the street” and “Stop, look, and listen.”  As parents, we want our children to remember to obey the rules. Similarly, God commanded His first children, Adam and Eve, to obey His first law: not to eat from the Tree of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:16-17).  But they did not obey and lost the presence of God.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we were like Adam and Eve (before their sin of disobedience) and could walk side by side with God? Might we then feel His guiding hand even more acutely? What if this is possible? 

In today’s verses, Jeremiah and  Ezekiel share God’s plan for us to reunite with Him through Jesus Christ and the gift of His Holy Spirit. The fulfillment of this promise begins with Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension into heaven, when the Holy Spirit descended like tongues of fire upon each of his disciples (Acts 2:1-4). It happens later with Paul (Acts 9:17). Peter sums up the giving of the Holy Spirit to those who believe in Christ for salvation (Acts 15:7-11). And on and on this one-by-one indwelling of the Holy Spirit continues until our time. You can be in God’s presence, walk with Him through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and be guided in daily choices to please God. It is possible.

Have you experienced the internal guidance of the Holy Spirit? The first step is to know God by accepting Christ’s death and resurrection for the forgiveness of your sins. Use a simple prayer of belief. Then watch what God does as He leads you to fellow Christ followers, to a church, and to read the Bible. As this happens, you will experience the internal guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Next Steps

1. If you are just starting to become familiar with the Bible, look up the scripture references in the devotionals and from other writers and read the verse in its full context.
2. Consider doing a word search throughout the bible. Using a concordance, find all the verses in which the words “obey” or “covenant” appear. Let the Holy Spirit guide. See what you discover.