Heart

Last week, we finished up with Paul’s beautiful reminder about God’s love ... that nothing can separate us from it. His own remembrance of this love that he has experienced quickly moves him to sorrow as he considers loved ones that haven’t accepted God’s love ... Jesus' grace.


Romans 9
1 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.


Heart. I was struck by Paul’s “bitter sorrow and unending grief”. I was moved by his heart ... his willingness to give up what he preaches about so passionately so someone else could experience God’s love and Jesus’ grace. It is a picture of Jesus’ heart and the heart God wants to form in us ... a heart that breaks for those that are “cut off from Christ”. My prayer for you (and me) is that God would break your heart.