Rejoice in the Ways of the Lord!
Read the Text: Romans 11
Memorize the Text:
Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
(Romans 12:1-2, CSB)
Consider the Text: Romans 11:33-36
The apostle Paul spoke distinctly about the offering made by the Lord for humanity's redemption and how Israel rejected this offer. Israel’s rejection of the extended gift of salvation led to the offer becoming available for the Gentiles. Upon reflecting on the offering made by the Lord, believers must move to rejoice in the Lord and his work. In Romans 11:33-36, believers find reasons for rejoicing in the Lord’s ways.
Rejoicing occurs due to the depth of God’s RICHES. The riches of the Lord become evident in two terms, grace and mercy. Grace means the unmerited favor extended toward believers. Grace comes from the Lord as the giving of a gift that one does not deserve. Mercy goes with grace because it indicates the withholding from one what one deserves. Thus, in the richness of God’s grace and mercy, he extends the offering of redemption through Christ through grace because we do not deserve such a gift and through mercy because he withholds the punishment we deserve. The presence of mercy and grace motivates believers to rejoice in the Lord because of his richness in mercy and grace.
Rejoicing occurs due to the depth of God’s KNOWLEDGE and WISDOM. In redemption, God’s knowledge and wisdom are on display. In human efforts, individuals have no hope of earning or gaining redemption. Instead, the needed rescue comes only through the extension of life that comes from the Lord that occurred because of his perfect knowledge and wisdom and revealed through the work of Christ. God knew what people needed and knew that individuals could never achieve the need themselves. As a result, the Lord put into place a plan to gain the availability of redemption and executed the plan. As a result, believers have reason to rejoice because of God’s perfect knowledge and wisdom. The Lord knew exactly what people needed and carried it out.
Rejoicing occurs due to the depth of God’s JUDGMENTS and WAYS. The judgments of the Lord are impossible to comprehend because the ways of the Lord are not the ways of humanity. As a result, faith becomes the essence of redemption and the central hub of response. Believers respond to the Lord in faith and walk in the Lord in faith. Such a faith journey rests on complete trust in the judgments and ways of the Lord, even when they seem impossible. Believers rejoice because of their faith and trust in the Lord and his work in each Christian’s life. It is rejoicing that flows from trusting in the Lord through faith.
Thinking about the work of the Lord and the greatness of his ways ought to leave believers in awe and astonishment at the Lord. Such a response leads the person to rejoice in the Lord for his work and offer of salvation. As a result, rejoicing becomes a response to the Lord, acknowledging his greatness, work, love, riches, knowledge, and judgment. As we think about our lives, does the rejoicing of our hearts flow from the person, presence, and work of the Lord?
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
