A promise with friends

It is wonderful for Christians to have God’s family and friends in the world. Chin Ee and Sis were in Sapporo as an English teacher for 1 year. Chin Ee is very friendly and made many friends here. Sis is a master of cooking. His Thai Curry was a masterpiece. When they left Japan, everyone cried and cried. They gave me a coin and I made a promise to visit them and use the coin. At that time, I couldn’t afford to go there and also I was busy visiting other places so I couldn’t keep the promise.
Finally, I could go to Gren Waverly, a suburb of Melbourne, where they live in Feb. 2009. They said, “It took so long but you made it.”
They had children and live in a house with a swimming pool. (But they are burying the pool because it costs a lot.) I had a wonderful time with them and their relatives. Also, I went to Great Ocean Road to see rock pillars called the twelve disciples and fully enjoyed myself.
It was a short visit but the time with friends was a treasure in my life and I fulfilled our promise.
In the Bible, there are covenants between God and people. It is difficult for Japanese people to understand a concept of covenant. In Japanese language, we say ‘to tie up (musubu) a contract” so if something happens, we can untie it. In Jews, they say ‘to cut (kiru) a contract”. In times of the Bible, people thought it is acceptable to be killed just like a sacrificial animal, if they break a covenant.
In the Bible, many covenants are written but old covenants were for Israelite and new covenants are for all people. God is so faithful that He has stood by His covenant till today. We can experience a grace of the Lord and a depth of His love when we understand God’s unchanged covenants.
Jeremiah 31:33