God of peace and power, share exactly what this dear reader needs in their life today; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Here is today's text: Romana 9:1-9:
1 I speak the truth in Christ--I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit-- 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. 6 It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. 9 For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."
To the Christians in Rome, Paul begins to share his heart. His heart was broken that not more Jews were believing in Christ. He lists their blessings and what should be joys in their history and heritage, yet they were missing the greatest gift, and that was Jesus Christ Himself. Paul cannot believe how for their sake, God acted and sent His Son and yet they still rejected Him. Paul confesses his sorrow to the point that he would take being "cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people." Sometimes we find ourselves thinking that about people in our own families. They know all that God has done for them and yet they do not receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. They know the blessings that have been theirs and should be theirs and yet they do not claim Jesus as He who can enter in and live in their hearts. Could we say that "God's word had failed?" No. They have failed God's word.
Paul knows that those who do believe become the children of God and thus our brothers and sisters. This however, does not mean we give up praying and inviting those loved ones for whom we care and want in the fellowship of Christ. It should make us work all the harder.
PRAYER: Loving God, today in my mind I have named ____________________ of my family. Lord, if it be Thy will, let today be a day in which she or he gets closer to You and realizing all that You have done on his/her behalf. I ask that I may draw closer too, and be the person You would have me be. I pray this in complete faith, in Christ Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
