Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional “New Possibilities” for Monday, 24 November 2014 - Scripture: Romans 11:7-18

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional “New Possibilities” for Monday, 24 November 2014 - Scripture: Romans 11:7-10 And then what happened? Well, when Israel tried to be right with God on her own, pursuing her own self-interest, she didn’t succeed. The chosen ones of God were those who let God pursue his interest in them, and as a result received his stamp of legitimacy. The “self-interest Israel” became thick-skinned toward God. Moses and Isaiah both commented on this:
Fed up with their quarrelsome, self-centered ways,
    God blurred their eyes and dulled their ears,
Shut them in on themselves in a hall of mirrors,
    and they’re there to this day.
David was upset about the same thing:
I hope they get sick eating self-serving meals,
    break a leg walking their self-serving ways.
I hope they go blind staring in their mirrors,
    get ulcers from playing at god.
Pruning and Grafting Branches
11-12 The next question is, “Are they down for the count? Are they out of this for good?” And the answer is a clear-cut No. Ironically when they walked out, they left the door open and the outsiders walked in. But the next thing you know, the Jews were starting to wonder if perhaps they had walked out on a good thing. Now, if their leaving triggered this worldwide coming of non-Jewish outsiders to God’s kingdom, just imagine the effect of their coming back! What a homecoming!
13-15 But I don’t want to go on about them. It’s you, the outsiders, that I’m concerned with now. Because my personal assignment is focused on the so-called outsiders, I make as much of this as I can when I’m among my Israelite kin, the so-called insiders, hoping they’ll realize what they’re missing and want to get in on what God is doing. If their falling out initiated this worldwide coming together, their recovery is going to set off something even better: mass homecoming! If the first thing the Jews did, even though it was wrong for them, turned out for your good, just think what’s going to happen when they get it right!
16-18 Behind and underneath all this there is a holy, God-planted, God-tended root. If the primary root of the tree is holy, there’s bound to be some holy fruit. Some of the tree’s branches were pruned and you wild olive shoots were grafted in. Yet the fact that you are now fed by that rich and holy root gives you no cause to crow over the pruned branches. Remember, you aren’t feeding the root; the root is feeding you.
Paul wrote, “I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry.”(Romans 11:13 (NRSV))
Recently I was preparing for a very important trip where I would be meeting with international partners. The meeting had been planned for several months, but sudden changes in the weather altered all our plans. Flights were cancelled, and it became clear that the meeting would not be taking place on the intended dates. I was upset. But later in the day my sadness left me when I realized that the postponement of the trip would allow me to spend more time with my family. I saw this as a gift and rejoiced in this opportunity.
The apostle Paul also found a way to make the most out of a changed situation. He faced many obstacles when he began to preach the gospel to Israel. His own people rejected the good news about Jesus. But this did not stop Paul. He did not lose hope that Israel would turn to God; in fact, he saw a new opportunity — to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. At that time this was a revolutionary idea. He saw himself as an apostle to the Gentiles. As we know, this attitude changed the world and the whole map of the Christian world. The entire then-known world heard the good news about Jesus Christ.
The Author: Eduard Khegay (Moscow, Russia)
Thought for the Day: What opportunities to share the gospel can I find in today’s obstacles?
Prayer: Great God, help us to see the opportunities in obstacles. Lead us by your Holy Spirit that we might act boldly like the apostle Paul. Amen.
Prayer focus: Those facing unexpected obstacles
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