Romans
Verse Annotation
Verse 4 - Our situations can easily blind us into loneliness when we are part of a bigger body, with many with us, many who’ve gone before us, and many around us
Verse 5 - We have been privileged into Christ by grace, not by any of our qualifications.
Verse 20 - Our steadfastness in faith should never illicit pride in our hearts but should be a point of reverence and honor to God.
Verse 22 - God’s mercy to us is a mystery we will never fully comprehend until reunion with Him.
Verse 33 - 36 - Everything we do, build or work in, MUST be done with wisdom from God, through Him, and to (for) Him
Reflection
Am I the last devout Christian in my City? Am I the last one in my State? Our current society format can easily make one feel isolated in a self-deemed lonely religious pursuit. Some of us might be thinking we are the last Christians in our Country. My brothers and sisters, God has not called us into a vacuum of spiritual pursuit; rather, we have been called into life in the Body of Christ. There is no reason any of us should live in isolation, much so when we have been gifted unmerited grace and favor that we did not deserve; how can we then take this gift and hide it in the vacuum of loneliness? We are not only called to have a personal relationship with God but with his sons and daughters as well.
In verse 4, Paul gave a recap of Elijah’s debacle with the then government, which had resolved to murder all prophets. When Elijah talked to God, God made known to Him that there are many other brothers in faith than he ever thought about. Our Circumstances can blind us to an illusion of depression rather than a reality of joy and celebration. Even though his judgment had been compromised, Elijah still sought God. That should be our response, for everything we do MUST be done with God’s wisdom, through Him and to Him.
Prayer
Thank you Jesus for the favor you show to us day in and day out, a favor which we do not deserve. Thank you for your kindness to us, being patient with us even when you could have justly cut us off. God, we pray for strength and boldness in our lives, we pray that you may help us to live in the joy and blessing of the body of Christ and not in isolation. We pray that you may help us to live in purity and Holiness that we may be able to be fruitful, not for our sake but also for those around us. Give us an explicit awareness that everything we do with our hands, minds, or thoughts MUST be done in your wisdom, through you, and for you.
In Jesus' mighty name I pray, Amen.
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