1 Corinthians 1  The same God who by His will called Paul to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, called us to be saints - set apart ones, sanctified in Christ Jesus - made holy. ( v1-2)

He called us into "fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord". ( v9)

He called us to "Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" ( v24)

He called "... not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God." ( v26-29)

"But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.." v30.

It is our Creator, the Lord God, who reigns over all, Who holds all things in His Hand, who has taken the initiative here;  He called, He chose, He did it all - He makes the wisdom of the world foolishness;  He makes what the world considers foolishness -wisdom:

Christ crucified on a cross - this is the most powerful Word for it has the power to save. 
Jesus is wisdom.  Jesus is righteousness.  Jesus is sanctification.  Jesus is redemption.  This is to be our only message - our only boast- for it is our only hope.

Jesus, we call upon Your Name,  that we might not lack wisdom or understanding, that we might not lack the gifts of the Spirit, that we might stand "blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ".  Thank You for the Word of Truth.  Thank You for being all - all we need, all we want,  all in all.
Father, we bow before You and honor You for You are God and there is no other.  Help us to remember that it is You Who does all things. You, who have called us to Jesus and to be set apart for Yourself.  You have chosen us, the foolish and weak, to be the ones to shame the wise and strong.  Do all You desire in Your people today.  Let Your Name be honored and Your kingdom come and Your will be done. Through Jesus our Lord. amen.

Ruth 1-4  After the sad ending of the book of Judges, comes a refreshing reminder, that God still had a remnant of people in Israel.  People that would shape the future of Israel.  Ruth is a young Moabite woman who married the son of Elimelech and Naomi.  When her husband died and Naomi decided to move back to Bethlehem, Ruth chose to go with her.  This choice was not just a simple decision to move.  It meant turning her back on her family, her culture, her religion, and putting herself into a position of total dependence.

God blessed Ruth and Naomi.  Boaz was a man of God.  He insisted on doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord.  He took responsibility for the proper actions. He was kind and compassionate.  He was diligent and wise.  Boaz married Ruth and they had a son, Obed.  Obed became the father of Jesse, who became the father of David.

History is changed by the actions of one young foreign woman.  There would be a king in Israel and he would be a servant of the Lord.  And it started here in the days of the judges, when sin was rampant and everyone was doing whatever they wanted to.  So thankful that God does not give up on us.  He has a plan and He will do it!

Father, we long to see You change the course of our nation as You did in Israel.  Turn us back to You!
Raise up men and women of God to do what is right in Your eyes, to forsake a culture that wants to do its own thing.  Help us to live according to Your Word.  Complete Your purposes in our lives that we may give glory and honor to You always.  Fill us Holy Spirit today.  In Jesus' name we pray. amen

Judges 19-21  Things go from bad to worse in Israel. There is a sad series of events recorded here that  make you see the depth of depravity that occurs when people do not have the Lord.  It begins with a Levite.

This man lived in Ephraim and had a concubine from Bethlehem. She had left him and gone home to her father's house and the Levite went to bring her back.  The father-in-law detained them a couple of days until they finally left, unfortunately leaving when it was too late to get the whole way home.  They stopped the night in Gibeah.  An old man finally takes them  in for the night, but a group of "worthless men" from the tribe of Benjamin surrounded the house and wanted the Levite to be given to them for sex.   The old man begs them not to do this and instead offers his daughter and the man's wife.  ( Ok, I don't get that at all.. but it is similar to what happened to Lot).  The Levite seizes his concubine and brings her out to the men!  They rape her, abuse her, and leave her for dead.  The man takes her body home, cuts it into twelve pieces and sends a piece to each of the tribes of Israel.

Well, this stirs Israel out of their stupor! They finally meet together and seek the Lord.  They go to war against the men of Benjamin,  thousands are killed and the tribe of Benjamin is almost wiped out.
Then they feel sorry that the tribe is decimated and they want to preserve it, but they have vowed not to give them any of their daughters as wives,  so they advise them to steal woman from Jabesh-gilead and Shiloh.   It reminds me of what ISIS has done... taking young girls and forcing them to be their wives.   Terrorism was alive and well in Israel, long before Islam existed.

This ends the book of Judges. It is a sad and discouraging passage of the failures of Israel.  The writer reminds us again and again that there was no king in Israel. Yet, that was not the real problem.  The problem was that they had forsaken the True King of Israel.  Here is a society of ruthless and idolatrous people, who should have been the light of the world.  They had fallen so far... all because they did not honor the Lord their God, nor obey His Word.

This example is given to us, Paul writes, as all the Word was given,  for teaching, for exhortation, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness. ( II Tim. 3:16)   Our nation, our world, needs to take heed of the Word of Truth.  We are heading down a dangerous path, where all men do what is right in their own eyes.. where they no longer heed the King of Glory, where they have no fear of the Holy One .  We must pray as never before for a great revival!

Jesus, You are our only Hope.  We exalt You as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  We seek Your Truth and Mercy.  Father in Heaven, we bow before You and You alone.  Holy One of Israel, turn the hearts of men and women back to Yourself.  Flood this nation with Your Light by Your Spirit. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Judges 17  We are introduced to a man named Micah.  It seems that Israel is so far from God that they don't even understand right from wrong.

The first thing we learn about Micah is that he stole from his mother 1100 pieces of silver.  He heard her utter a curse about this, but when he told her that he took it, she blessed him! Then, when he returned the silver she makes this statement, " I wholly dedicate the silver from my hand to the Lord for my son to make a graven image and a molten image, and they were in the house of Micah."   
What confusion and apostasy!

Micah makes a shrine and takes his idols and sets up a place of worship.  He makes his own ephod, the holy garment meant for a priest and then to top it off, he enlists a Levite from Bethlehem to be his own priest.  He thinks he is doing so well that the Lord will bless him!

Chapter 18  For the second time these words were written, " In those days there was no king of Israel" ( 17:6; 18:1)   Because there was no king, every man " did what was right in his own eyes."  And because there was no king, the tribe of Dan decided it was finally time to find their own land.  Now, this was not true, because they had an inheritance described in Joshua 19.   They just wanted something different.  They sent 5 men out to spy out the land.  These men happened to stop by Micah's house and recognized the voice of the Levite. They asked him to inquire of the Lord for them. Whether he actually knew the Lord or not, we do not know, but he told them that they were going the right way, the way the Lord approved.  They found a quiet peaceful place with some people who were far away from others that might fight for them, and decided that they would come back and take it.

The army of Dan consisted of 600 armed men.  They headed back to Laish to take it for themselves.  They stopped back at Micah's home and took his idols, his ephod, and his priest!  When Micah came after them, he could not do anything.  For they were too strong for him.  They went to Laish and overcame it, burnt it down, rebuilt it and made it their own.  Then they set up the idols there.

This passage shows just how far the people of Israel had strayed from the Lord.  They did whatever they wanted to and called it right.   This reminds me of our own nation.  Men and women today want to call their actions right, ignoring the Word of the Lord that condemns such actions as sin.  Just because you want to live your own way and do your own thing, doesn't mean that God approves.

The Lord judges sin.  He condemns those who are wicked, those who do not keep His commandments and ignore and reject His Word.  Molten and graven images are not the only idols! Whenever men choose to worship anything except the One True God, the way that He has proscribed... they are choosing condemnation on themselves.  Israel would ultimately pay the price for their sins of idolatry.. they would go into captivity.   God will keep His Word .  He will do what He says He will do.  And that includes destruction of the wicked. 

Father in Heaven, forgive us our sins!  Turn our hearts back to the Truth and to You and bring Your Kingdom here.  Oh Lord, may our nation repent from the ways we are going.  May our leaders fall to their knees and beg forgiveness.  Break those stubborn hearts that want their own way.  It is wrong!
It is sin.   Let us recognize the Truth of Your Word.. and acknowledge You as God and King forever.
Help us we pray.  Amen.

Judges 13-16  The story of Samson.  There are so many unusual things that happen in this passage.  It seems to be more than just a story of another judge.

The people of Israel were not faithful to God.  They were "doing evil", worshiping idols and forgetting the commandments and covenant.  Therefore, they were given into the hands of the Philistines. For 40 years the Philistines ruled over Israel.  God sent " the angel of the Lord" to a barren woman from the tribe of Dan and told her she would have a son.  This son was to be a Nazarite from birth.  She could have no wine, no grapes, and no unclean things. At first the husband and wife were not sure who this angel was, but later it was confirmed to them that this was the Lord's angel.   When Samson arrived and grew up, he was anointed with the Spirit of the Lord.   There is no indication that Samson worshiped God, or that he even acknowledged God, yet he was chosen by God and given extraordinary strength by the power of the the Holy Spirit.

Samson made many foolish decisions during his life.  He was determined to marry a Philistine woman. That turned out terribly! She and her family ended up being burned up.  Samson went to live in a cleft of the rock of Etam.  He stayed there until Judah was threatened by the Philistines. They came to get him and took him to the Philistines.  At that time he killed 1000 men with the jawbone of a donkey.   And, here we hear his first prayer, " ... he called to the Lord and said, 'Thou hast given this great deliverance by the hand of Thy servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised ?'" ( 15:18)   God split the rock and gave him water.

Samson met Delilah after that and was badgered by her until he finally was " annoyed to death" and told her the secret of his strength.  She immediately used it against him and he was taken by the Philistines and blinded and made into a joke.  However, God was not through with Samson.  IN 16:28 we read Samson's second recorded prayer,  " O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me just one more time, O God, that I may at once be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. " 
Again God answered Samson's prayer.  Samson was given extraordinary strength and he pulled down the house killing over 3000 Philistine lords and ladies who were there.

Samson was considered a judge of Israel for 20 years.  We are not told how this helped Israel at all.  Yet he was chosen by God and his story told in this book for a purpose.

Father, help us to hear and learn from Samson's experiences.  Help us to understand the power of prayer and the blessing of obedience to Your Word.  We need deliverance from the evil one in our lives and in our land.  May we be set apart for Your plans and purposes, strengthened by Your Spirit, and ready to give our all to You.  Keep our hearts pure and our hands clean.  We are Yours, Lord, amen

Judges 9-12  There is a contrast here between 2 men.  Abimelech, the son of Gideon and Jephthah, the son of Gilead.  Abimelech was the son of Gideon's concubine and grew up apart from the rest of his 70 brothers.  When he was old enough he conspired with his mother's family to take over.  He killed all of his brothers, had himself made king, and caused much trouble.  He and his mother's relatives received judgement for their evil ways.  He ended up killing them and he ended up dying when a millstone was thrown on his head.

Jephthah was the son of a harlot and lived apart from his father's house also.  But, he was called back when the Ammonites fought against Israel.  Instead of bitterness, this man knew the Lord.  He was filled with the Spirit of the Lord and had victory because of the Lord's hand upon him.

Both men had similar backgrounds, in that they were separated and shunned by their families.  One reacted with bitterness and hatred.  One turned to the Lord and became a leader.

When we look at our nation today, we see many who make the choice to be bitter and angry and to spew their hatred onto others, even onto their own families.  But, we who know Christ, must be more like Jephthah.  We must turn to the Lord and trust Him.  We must be filled with His Spirit and walk in His ways.

Father, once again we turn our eyes and hearts to You.  Save us we pray.  Sanctify us through and through.  May we rise up and come to the aid of our nation.  Fill us with Your Spirit and give us victory over evil.  In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

Judges 4-8  Two more judges are raised up to deliver Israel from enemies.  Deborah and Gideon both were used by God to answer the prayers of the people.  Yet, each time Israel returns to their evil ways, making and worshipping idols.  Even Gideon, who saw first hand how the Lord delivered Israel and gave them victory over the Midianites, ended up doing a foolish thing.  He used the spoils from the victory to make a golden ephod that became an object of worship and a snare to the people.

Gideon ended up having many wives and 70 sons!  He lived to a ripe old age, but as soon as he died the people went back to Baal and " did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side;" ( v34)


 How often do we have to learn the same lessons as Israel?  We see God answer prayer and bless us with His grace and mercy... then turn around and serve the worldly nature.   We forget that we have been set free!  Free to leave behind those things that will snare us and make us forget our wonderful Lord who has saved us.   We must diligently turn our eyes towards Him every day!  If we get too busy, or let things.. or people... keep us from reading the Word or spending time in prayer, we too will be swept up in the snares of this world.

Father , help us!  Make Your Presence known.  Come and fill us with Your Spirit and lead us in Your ways.  May Your Name be honored, here and now, in each of our lives.  Let Your Kingdom be here and come in fulness.  Let Your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven.  Amen.

Judges 3 The writer tells us that the Lord allowed the Philistines, Canaanites, Sidonians, and the Hivites to remain in the promised land for the testing of Israel and for the training of Israel.  The training was to teach them war.  The testing was to find out if they would obey His commandments.
Israel failed.  They began to intermarry with those that they were forbidden to marry.  Then they began to serve their gods.  God did exactly what He said He would - He gave them, "sold them into the hands of Cushan-rishathaim".  After 8 years, Israel finally cried out to the Lord and He sent a deliverer, Othniel, Caleb's nephew.

For 40 years, Othniel governed Israel and they had rest, but after his death they failed again.  This time Moab took over Israel for 18 years, then when they cried out to the Lord, He sent Ehud from the tribe of Benjamin to deliver them.  Ehud killed Eglon , the king of Moab, and led Israel in victory over the army of Moab.  This time the land was at rest for 80 years.

A third judge was Shamgar.  He single-handedly killed 600 Philistines with an oxgoad, saving Israel.
We are not told how long it was that he led Israel, but after he died, they again turned to evil ways.

Two things we can learn from this - First, without a godly leader nations fail and then fall.  Second, the only hope we have as a nation, or an individual is to cry out to God!  What is amazing is that God hears!  And He delivers us!  Failure after failure;  generation after generation ; God hears those who cry out to Him and He has mercy on them.

Father, You are our deliverer!  You are always faithful and true. Thank You!  We want to be faithful to serve only You all the days of our lives and to teach our children the importance of serving You too.  Fill us again with Your own Holy Spirit and lead us in Your paths.  Let Your will be done in our lives and in our nation. Send a deliverer, a man of God to lead our nation back to You.  We ask this in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Judges 1-2  Israel begins to dwell in the land that God promised, but before they could settle down they had to conquer those still living there.  God would drive out the inhabitants, but they had to participate - they were to go in and fight.   But, Israel didn't do what they were supposed to do....
They failed to drive out the Canaanites in Manasseh's territory, Ephraim's territory, Zebulun's territory, Asher's territory, Naphtali's territory, and Dan's territory.  They allowed the inhabitants to stay.  They made them slaves, but they failed to do what God had commanded.

The Lord confronted Israel, " I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said, ' I will never break my covenant with you, and as for you, you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars'  But you have not obeyed Me;  what is this you have done?"  ( 2: 1-2)   Because of their failure to obey fully, God said He would no longer drive out the enemy but allow them to be a "thorn in" their sides.

Joshua died and the leaders of that generation died also.  "... and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel."  ( v10)  Sadly, Israel did not prepare their children for the future.  They did not teach them the Word of God, the commandments of God, or the Truth of God.  The false gods were all around them, because of the failure to obey God's command to rid the land of them.  And Israel fell right into the trap of idolatry.


What are the things that we have allowed to stay in our lives?  The people or things that tempt us to forget God's Word and turn to idols?  We are also commanded to "drive out" the evil influences from our lives. This is not a passive activity.  We are sanctified by God, but we have a responsibility to put away those things that hinder us from the holiness He wants for us.  Just as Israel was to drive out the inhabitants of their promised land, we are to drive out the influence of our culture... ".. do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind".   We need to fight! We must take action!

We also need to heed the warning here... if we do not teach our children the Word of God; if we don't make every effort to bring them into the knowledge of the Lord.. we will leave a generation that will not keep His ways, who will turn to the idols of our culture and will end up slaves to them.   It happened to Israel.. it continues to happen now.

Blessed God and Mighty Lord, help us we pray!  Forgive us for allowing any outside influences into our lives and families. Drive them out Lord!  Strengthen us by the filling of Your Spirit, to will and to want Your perfect holiness and purity... to want You alone.  Thank you for saving us, for giving to us Jesus Christ our Lord and Your Holy Spirit, our guide, our refiner.  We worship You alone.  Have Your way in us.   In Christ we come, asking these things in His Name. Amen.

Romans 15-16  Paul comes to the end of his letter to the Romans, summing up his message with a reminder of the grace of God to both Jews and Gentiles.  "Accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God."  Paul writes.( v7)

   Christ came to "become a servant to the circumcision" ;  He confirmed the Truth of God's promises through the prophets;  and He came to bring hope to the Gentiles, showing mercy to all.  (v8-12)

Paul's prayer is this, " Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." ( v13)  What a great prayer of blessing!

Paul greets, by name, many believers in Rome and sends greetings from his friends.  His final prayer is this, " Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to the obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever, Amen."  ( v25-27)

Father in heaven, all glory and honor and praise we give to You.  Thank You for giving us hope in Christ Jesus.  Thank You for manifesting the mystery of Your mercy and grace to all who will come to obedient faith. You "establish" us. You " accept"  us.  You justify and save us.  Thank You .
Fill us with the power of the Holy Spirit, with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in hope.  Amen!

Romans 14   Here, Paul gives us some really sound principles to consider and live by:

Accept other believers, even if you don't agree with their convictions.  If God has accepted him or her, then you can too.  ( verses 1-3)

Each of us is individually and personally accountable to God alone.  ( v4-12)
 -   We each have to be sincerely convinced in our own minds of what God desires us to do or not do.
 -   We each are dependent upon God to make us stand.
 -   We each are to give thanks to God for whatever He gives us.
 -   We each live for the Lord and will die for the Lord.


We are called to walk "according to love".   That means we must be careful to:
Not be a stumbling block to others. ( v13, 20-21)
Pursue " the things which make for peace and the building up of one another." (v19)
Not condemn ourselves by doing things that we think might be wrong - " but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean" ( v14)  "But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin." ( v23)

"... the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men."  ( v17-18)


Father in heaven ,  You are our King and we bow before You.  We want to live in the ways that are acceptable to You,  to live a life worthy of You, pleasing You and giving You glory.  Lead us every day in righteousness, peace and joy, in Your Holy Spirit.  Give us wisdom and grace to walk in love, not judging others for their personal convictions, but being careful to examine our own convictions, living  and walking by faith.  Make us sensitive to Your Spirit's voice and our own consciences, that we do not allow sin to take hold of us.  Continue to renew our minds and transform our lives according to the image of Christ, our blessed Lord.  We ask this in His name.  Amen.

Romans 13  Paul continues to exhort his readers to live totally surrendered to God.  That includes our physical bodies, our minds, our actions, and our relationships.  That also includes our earthly citizenship.  We are to be "in subjection to"  the government, for God has established every authority.

Our first reaction to this might be "OH NO!".  When we think of the flaws and corruption and horrible acts of some governments, we just can't fathom how we can do this.  But, Paul was writing to Roman citizens.... and Rome was not a wonderful place for Christians to be at that time!  How could they put themselves under subjection to Nero?  But, that is exactly what Paul did.  And even more, that is exactly what Jesus did...

Paul says that there are 2 reasons to be subject to the authorities.  First, because of the wrath that will be used to punish those who do evil. And, more importantly, because of our consciences.  Morally we are called to be perfect, without sin, serving God in every area of our lives.  So, when we are obedient, even to an imperfect government, we are doing what is good - what is God's will.  Paying taxes, obeying laws, doing what is right - these are the things that God wants for us, for it reveals His Love in us and through us. 

Paul summarizes these thoughts with a look towards eternity - " The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand.  Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Let us behave properly as in the day.... and put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provisions for the flesh in regard for its lusts."  ( v12-14)

Because the time is coming, when this earth and all of its governments will be gone; because we love the Lord and want to serve Him completely; we present ourselves to God and we subject ourselves to the authorities that He has allowed.  It is ultimately obeying Him when we are law-abiding citizens.

That is also why it is so important to pray for " kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. " ( I Timothy 2:2)

Father in heaven, we thank You and praise You, for You alone are the Sovereign God and You have set Jesus Christ our Lord to have all authority in heaven and on earth.  We bow before You and give ourselves to You.  We are Your servants and will obey You first of all.  We also desire to obey the authority of government, even when we disagree.  Thank You for democracy.  We are blessed to be able to have a part in determining the makeup of our government to some degree.  Help us to be faithful and wise in our voting and participation in that sacred responsibility.  We pray for the leaders of our country and ask that You would bless them with godly wisdom and that You would bring each to know You and to fear You.  May they bow before You and tremble with humble hearts.  May they repent from sin and evil.  We pray this in Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Romans 12 - continued....

Thoughts from the Bible Knowledge Commentary:

To present our bodies - means to give the "totality of one's life and activities" to God as a sacrifice or offering.   This offering is holy or set apart to God, which is pleasing to Him.  It is spiritual worship because it is "ministry performed for God".  " A believer's offering of his total life as a sacrifice to God is therefore sacred service."

This offering " represents a complete change in lifestyle".  We turn from conformity to this world, the pattern of this age... "this present evil age", which is firmly put aside.  We must be transformed, a continual transformation, a metamorphosis from the inside out.  "The key to this change is the mind, the control center of one's attitudes, thoughts, feelings, and actions".  This happens as we keep our mind on "being made new by the spiritual input of God's Word, prayer, and Christian fellowship".  

It is only when we have done this - given our whole selves to God, turned from the evil age, and focused our minds on our Lord, through His Word, prayer, and fellowship - that we can ascertain or discern what God's will is. God's will " is what is good - good, i.e., for each believer".

"As a Christian is transformed in his mind and is made more like Christ, he comes to approve and desire God's will, not his own will for his life. The he discovers that God's will is what is good for him, and that it pleases God and is complete in every way. It is all he needs."

Father in heaven, You are wonderful in all Your ways, kind in all Your deeds, righteous in every aspect.  We give You praise and glory!  You are worthy of all our worship.  We ask that Your mercies flow over us and in us, sanctifying us through and through, conforming us to the likeness of Your Precious Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Here we are Lord, presenting to You our bodies, minds, and lives.  Take my life and let it be, consecrated, Lord to Thee.  Amen

Romans 12  This chapter is so full of challenging, yet practical, guidance into living for the Lord, Who has loved us, saved us, justified us, and Who wants to sanctify us through and through.  It begins with His mercies which are so "unfathomable" and "unsearchable" and the riches of His wisdom and knowledge.  In light of Who He is and what He has done for us, we....

Present our bodies to Him as sacrifices in worship.
We present our minds to Him, to be transformed and renewed.
We present our judgements to Him, recognizing His grace towards us.
We present our members to Him, for service according to His Grace.
We present our relationships to Him, to love without hypocrisy, to honor with diligence, to give to those in need, to bless even those who curse us.
We present our emotions to Him,  rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep.
We present our positions to Him,  not considering ourselves wiser or better or more righteous than others.
We present our trials to Him,  allowing Him to take the vengeance where needed, and to overcome the evil when present.

Father,  our only hope is in Christ Jesus, the perfect Son of God.  So we bow before You, clinging to Him, and offer ourselves as living sacrifices. Amen.

Romans 11  Paul, writing to Gentiles, explains what has happened to Israel.  God had not rejected the Jews altogether.  He has kept for Himself a "remnant according to God's gracious choice." (v5)
God has chosen some to obtain salvation through His grace, but others have been "hardened". (v7)

Paul argues that one reason for this is so that the Gentiles could come to salvation, making the Jews jealous.  If their failure/transgression is able to bring salvation to the world, then, Paul says, what will their "fulfillment" be?  If their rejection ( of Christ) allows the world to be reconciled to God, then what will their acceptance of Him bring? Paul says it will bring "life from the dead"! ( v15)

God is not through with Israel, Paul teaches.  They are the natural branches of the olive tree.
Those who have not believed in Christ are like branches that have been broken off.  The Gentile believers are like branches from a wild olive tree that have been grafted into the holy tree whose root is Christ. Two truths that we need to take note of here:
1.  The Lord is able to graft the broken branches back in again!
2.  The Lord will cut off even the grafted branches if they do not "continue in His kindness."

The mysterious and wonderful ways of God are beyond our understanding. He has allowed His people to reject His Son.. so that He could show mercy to all people.  He allowed disobedience for all so that He could reveal His mercy to all.  Paul writes, " Oh , the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and unfathomable His ways." ( v33)

We cannot know God's mind.  We cannot see the greatness of His full purposes and will.  But, we can give Him glory and honor because, " from Him and through Him and to Him are all things." ( v36)

Father, we do give You glory and honor and praise.  For You are the source of all life.  You are the creator and sustainer of all the world, by Your choice and express purposes.  We are thankful for Your righteousness and mercy.  We thank You that all people have hope through Christ Jesus.  We thank You for calling us by name, for choosing us to be grafted onto the holy Vine.  We bow before You and humble ourselves, knowing that we did not earn this, but that it is Your gift by grace and we have it only by faith in our Precious Savior.  Teach us anew the wonder of Your salvation and the greatness of Your love.  May we never forget or take this for granted.  Amen.

Romans 10  "Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is their salvation."  ( v1)

My prayer, also,  for unbelieving family members, for friends and acquaintances, for the lost in our nation and for the lost around the world.... salvation.  I pray that they will know that the only righteousness that counts is that righteousness that is through Jesus Christ.  It is only received through faith in Him.

The Word is right here: " ... if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." ( v9-10)

Our Lord is Lord of all!
All who call upon His Name will be saved.
" So faith comes from hearing and hearing from the word of Christ." (v17)

Paul's missionary heart is poured out in verses 13-17
How can they call on Jesus unless they believe?
How can they believe unless they have heard?
How can they hear unless someone preaches the good news?
How can they preach unless they are sent?

And even then, not all with believe the good news....

But God stretches out His hands, even now, even to the most obstinate and disobedient people... that they would turn and come back to Him.  So, we keep on praying...

Father,  I pray for my loved ones who are indeed obstinate and disobedient to the Word.  I pray that You will manifest Yourself to those who did not ask for You... be found by those who do not seek You.  Have mercy on them, for my sake, for my heart breaks that they are without hope and without Christ.  Send workers into Your harvest field, Lord of the harvest.  Send those who will break up the rocky soil, the hard hearts and stubborn minds;  send those who will plant the seed of the Word of God; send those who will water and tend the tender seedlings; and send those who will reap the fruit of Your harvest.  I pray this in the Name of Jesus Christ the Lord.  amen.

Romans 9  Paul has great sorrow and grief because of the unbelief of the Jews.  They had the Law, the covenant, they had the glory, the temple, and the promises of God.  They had the Messiah Himself, but they would not believe.

Paul's point here is that salvation does not come because of what you do or who you are.... It depends only on God.  " So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy." (v16)

Abraham had two sons - the son of the flesh and the son of the promise, Isaac.  God chose Isaac.
Isaac had two sons - Jacob and Esau.  God chose Jacob.

God chooses to "have mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires." (v18)
God chose to call Gentiles to faith and make them His people too.
God chose to make faith the way to salvation and righteousness.
God chose to make Jesus Christ the only way, the only Name by which we can be saved.

Father in heaven, we hallow and honor Your Name.  You alone are Sovereign and Mighty, God of heaven and earth.  You alone choose to have mercy on us, to call us to faith in Jesus Christ, to believe that He is Lord.  That He died on the cross and was buried and rose again, that we might be saved.
Thank You for the great riches of Your mercy and grace.  Be exalted, lifted us, and glorified today and forever. amen.