Romans 9-10
As I read through today's passages I couldn't help but feel the sting of Paul's words. Like Paul, I see the story through the eyes of a Jew who grew up in deeply rooted traditions and by God's grace now live a life touched and forever changed by the hand of Jesus. Now I know that everyone who is reading this has experienced the hand of God and I am by no means minimizing anyone's experience but Paul draws a very clean line in the sand by distinguishing that Israel pursued a law of righteousness but has not attained it. (v.31) The Old Testament is filled with rules and regulations which the Jews thought would achieve a right standing with God if they followed them. They followed laws in hopes that the path would lead them to see the Messiah, and when He came, they "stumbled over the stumbling stone" (v.33) They sought to establish their own righteousness and did not submit to God -- even when He walked with them. All it would have taken is a simple confession of faith. I think the Biblical picture of Jews stumbling over Jesus more than two thousand years ago is not only factual but perhaps symbolic of today's world as well. There are so many people today who have not made that confession of faith that Jesus is Lord. In Romans 14:11 Jesus tells us "As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.'" Jesus will return. So, here's the next question(s) - who do you know who hasn't made that confession of faith? Will you be the only reflection of Jesus that someone might see today? Please keep in mind, as believers we came to the realization that the Bible was God's Word because we encountered the truth firsthand and we were moved by it somehow. While we don't want to get into a tug of war with anyone's opinions, our goal is always to engage Jesus' words and then let God take over. I pray that our actions and conversations give people something to think about when God gives us a door of opportunity. I pray that God uses us, as He did Paul, to shine His light and reveal the truth that will set them free. I pray that the Spirit of Wisdom and Knowledge rest upon us and that the Holy Spirit gives us words as seeds to plant and they fall on good soil so that God will water them.
Randi
As I read through today's passages I couldn't help but feel the sting of Paul's words. Like Paul, I see the story through the eyes of a Jew who grew up in deeply rooted traditions and by God's grace now live a life touched and forever changed by the hand of Jesus. Now I know that everyone who is reading this has experienced the hand of God and I am by no means minimizing anyone's experience but Paul draws a very clean line in the sand by distinguishing that Israel pursued a law of righteousness but has not attained it. (v.31) The Old Testament is filled with rules and regulations which the Jews thought would achieve a right standing with God if they followed them. They followed laws in hopes that the path would lead them to see the Messiah, and when He came, they "stumbled over the stumbling stone" (v.33) They sought to establish their own righteousness and did not submit to God -- even when He walked with them. All it would have taken is a simple confession of faith. I think the Biblical picture of Jews stumbling over Jesus more than two thousand years ago is not only factual but perhaps symbolic of today's world as well. There are so many people today who have not made that confession of faith that Jesus is Lord. In Romans 14:11 Jesus tells us "As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.'" Jesus will return. So, here's the next question(s) - who do you know who hasn't made that confession of faith? Will you be the only reflection of Jesus that someone might see today? Please keep in mind, as believers we came to the realization that the Bible was God's Word because we encountered the truth firsthand and we were moved by it somehow. While we don't want to get into a tug of war with anyone's opinions, our goal is always to engage Jesus' words and then let God take over. I pray that our actions and conversations give people something to think about when God gives us a door of opportunity. I pray that God uses us, as He did Paul, to shine His light and reveal the truth that will set them free. I pray that the Spirit of Wisdom and Knowledge rest upon us and that the Holy Spirit gives us words as seeds to plant and they fall on good soil so that God will water them.
Randi
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