Him

In chapters 9 - 11, Paul works through some complicated material that discusses the past, present and future of Israel. He ends this section with an important conclusion.


Romans 11
28 Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.
30 Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead.
31 Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God’s mercy.
32 For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.
33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!
34 For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?
35 And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back?
36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.


Him. Rick Warren opens his best-selling book “The Purpose Driven Life” by simply saying ... “It’s not about you.” He may have received inspiration for that opening from verse 36. I’ll be honest, there is a lot that I don’t understand about God ... or His plan; but it gives me great comfort knowing that there are elements of God’s plan that even Paul found “impossible ... to understand” too. One of the more difficult aspects, of being a Jesus follower, is reconciling the fact that God doesn’t promise us (or honestly owe us) answers to all our questions. It comes with surrendering to Him as our Lord (or Director) of life. My prayer is that your search for understanding will land where Paul’s did ... “All glory to him forever!”