Daily Devotions -Lord of All

Daily Devotions -Lord of All

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Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:

 

Romans 9:30-10:21 (NIV)
Israel’s Unbelief
30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. 33 As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. 5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. 18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course, they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” 19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, “I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.” 20 And Isaiah boldly says, “I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.” 21 But concerning Israel, he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

 

How hard is it to accept that “the same Lord is the Lord of all?”

Sometimes it hard to accept because we obviously don’t have the mind or heart of God. He has always been calling out to His children and Israel had special favor yet they still got bound up in trying to follow the laws and could not see that Christ had fulfilled all the requirements of the law. They failed to see or believe in the work of the cross. At that time Gentiles didn’t have laws or knowledge yet their hearts could accept faith.
Father, I acknowledge that I often stumble through days depending on my own actions to get me through whatever the battles might be. I pray that my zeal for You would become stronger than my desire to be right in front of the world. Your word teaches me here that I need to be strong in serving You with my heart and my mouth. Lord since I know Your heart’s desire is that none should perish, please help me to have an answer for anyone who would ask where my faith comes from, knowing that professing You as my Savior will never put me to shame. Let me praise You openly and often so that people can hear your message and that they can learn of your Sovereignty. Amen
Today’s Prayer was submitted by Jo Schneider