Day 37 - Romans 9:27 - 9:33

27 And concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet cried out,“Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the seashore,    only a remnant will be saved. For the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth    quickly and with finality.”
29 And Isaiah said the same thing in another place:“If the Lord of Heaven’s Armies    had not spared a few of our children,we would have been wiped out like Sodom,    destroyed like Gomorrah.”
30 What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. 31 But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. 32 Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. 33 God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said,“I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble,    a rock that makes them fall.But anyone who trusts in him    will never be disgraced.”

Tori's Comments:

Verse 32 is awesome. It really shows the difference between living by the law verses living by the Spirit. The stone in the path in my life is definitely fear of people's opinions of me.

Anyone have anything different that hinders you from trusting God?

Terrie's Comments:

I think many people in the church have a set of rules that they live by in their heads.  A set of "God's laws" or what they think God expects.  We need to learn to live by the leading of the Holy Spirit so those laws are not a stumbling block in our lives... I am guilty of this... anyone else with me?  Love the Lord your God with all of your Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength and Love your Neighbor as yourself... I want to become more unconditionally loving and live a life filled with compassion for others no matter what other people think of me.  Those of you that know me can keep me accountable to this!

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 36 - Romans 9:19 - 9:26

19 Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?”20 No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? 22 In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. 23 He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. 24 And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.25 Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea,“Those who were not my people,    I will now call my people.And I will love those    whom I did not love before.”
26 And,“Then, at the place where they were told,    ‘You are not my people,’there they will be called    ‘children of the living God.’”

Terrie's Comments:

The thing that stands out in this passage is that the bottom line is that everyone has a choice to be Children of the living God.  Verse 25 and 26 see a switch between the old and new covenant.  Through the Blood of Jesus Christ we are all saved, loved, cherished, God's people, God's children.  He has made a way where there wasn't a way before for anyone to be reconciled to Himself.... More great news!

Tori's Comments:

Does this go back to our whole purpose in life? (Which is glorifying God, right?)

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 34 - Romans 9:6 - 9:13

6 Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God’s people! 7 Being descendants of Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted,” though Abraham had other children, too. 8 This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children. 9 For God had promised, “I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”10 This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins. 11 But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; 12 he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.” 13 In the words of the Scriptures, “I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.”

Terrie's Comments:

We are chosen before we are born for the purposes God has for us... It isn't based on ANYTHING we do or don't do but on God's grace alone!  So if God is calling you to do something please lay aside all of your excuses and just do it!  It isn't based on your qualifications but on your willingness to say yes to that calling.  God will equip you for whatever he wants you to do!

Tori's Comments:

"he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works" What a picture of God's mercy!!

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 33 - Romans 9:1 - 9:5

With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. 2 My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief 3 for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them. 4 They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises. 5 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

Terrie's Comments:

I can feel Paul's heart breaking and longing for his fellow Jews to believe in Jesus and be saved. He knows that they know everything they need to know to figure it out and have a relationship with God again.  

  

Does my heart break and long for those around me to be saved?  Or those who believe they are saved through what they think they know about God instead of the truth that we are saved By Jesus Christ alone?

Tori's Comments:

This goes back to that constant goal of focusing on eternity. It's hard to not step out in faith and evangelize when you think about why you should.

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!