Meditation on Romans 11:20 “Granted. But they were broken off becaues of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.” (NIV)
This passage teaches that the same unbelief that broke the Jews from God can break any away. “Boasting,” my concordance says, “is the opposite of faith, our humble acceptance of God’s gift of salvation” (p. 1148, New Bible Commentary).
I am only now a part of this salvation history started by the promises from God to His people, and the relationship that He there granted. My salvation historically began with the choosing of the Jews.
Lord, I confess to pride, looking down on fellow Christians for what I perceive to be their shortcomings.
You are a giving God, a God who gives, gives, gives (I’ve reflecting on Mark Driscoll’s sermon “The Rebel’s Guide to Joy in Poverty”). You don’t require me to do anything. Adding anything to Jesus and His work takes away from Him and it. What freedom there is in You, the One true God.
Lord, I love You, and I long to love You more.
I ask, God, for contentedness, the opposite of coveting. Paul learned to have it in all situations (Phil 4). I see that I am prone to discontentment, which is coveting–wanting something else, looking to something else that I don’t have and being resentful or burning or lusting that I don’t have it.
The greatest response I can give to You on the cross is, I think, humbly accepting it. This is the only response. I cannot earn it, try though my sinful desires do. My flesh tries to earn it’s way to you. Tim Keller described it last Sunday as the Flesh Operating System (F.O.S.).
Thank You, Lord, for Your Word and my ability to simply read the words. Thank You for the promise of a lifetime of it’s solace, guidance, and revelation. Thank you for the specific revelation that it contains, Jesus. I ask, Lord, for Crystal’s nourishment in it, as she is longing for Your Word right now.
Grant us both repentance, Lord, which comes from You but which requires us to have guts and sincerity to receive and carry out. I ask for it. Repentance from coveting, from pride, from the arrogance Paul warned against. Let us be afraid of the magnitude of Your glory, from the greatness of Your gift.
If someone walked up to me and gave me a million dollars, I would feel indebted at first (I could never possibly pay this person back, even if I happened to invest, their gift of such abundance would have been grace alone), but it may be easy for me to eventually forget this indebtedness, to ignore my conscience. Lord, far be it from us. Let us not lose our gratitude; may it only increase.
Father, please go before me today, ready hearts for the gospel, and be glorified in my school. Lord, I ask that Crystal’s heart would be transformed today, that You would pour out the grace on her that she desires.
I love You, even though I don’t deserve to.
Tags: "The Rebel's Guide to Joy in Poverty", arrogance, boasting, contentedness, contentment, Crystal, earning salvation, Father, Flesh Operating System, fleshly desires, God, grace, Jesus, Jews, mark driscoll, Phil 4, school, sinful desires, specific revelation, the gospel, the Word, Tim Keller
