Daily Reading

Today we finish Romans. Read chapters 11 & 12

God still has a plan and a purpose for His loyal Jews. Those that come to Him on His terms instead of their own. There has always been a remnant of faithful Jewish people and there always will be. God will never give up on them. Sometimes I think the same can be said of the Christian church. There are those who are seeking God in their own selfish ways, trying to fit Him into their box of religion. Then there are those that seek God on His terms, molding their lives to match up with His. Which side are you on? Are you seeking God on your terms or His?

We all belong to the same family. Paul uses Jesus' symbol of a tree to explain it. The root - the life - of the tree is Jesus. Believers are the branches. God is the gardener. God prunes off the old, dead branches and grafts on the new living branches. I once had a miniature ornamental citrus tree that grew oranges & lemons on the same tree. The fruit branches had been grafted onto a different root in order to produce this interesting effect. However, one of the graphs never took, so I had to prune it away in order for the tree to maintain it's health. That's the family of God. Those branches producing fruit are maintained. Those dead branches are cut away so the plant can flourish. The cool thing about this tree is that we all started off as dead branches who came alive in Christ Jesus, so anyone, anywhere can become a living part of the tree - Jews and non-Jews alike. How awesome is that?

So don't count out the Jews. Don't consider them God's enemy. There is a plan & a purpose for them. Prophecy tells us that Israel will once again be complete & a remnant of Jews will take their rightful place in the kingdom of God. So love your family, even those who may currently be pruned away.

Now Paul wraps up his letter with some practical advise - we are a part of the body of Christ. Each of us has a purpose & a job to do - whether your a finger, an arm, a toe, or an ear. No one is more important than another, for the body only functions correctly when all of its parts are working together. Whatever your talent, your gift, your purpose, offer it to the Lord in love. Serve Him and others in love, not worrying about what you'll get out of it, or about making yourself look good. Maintain humility, treat others with respect.

I'll close by quoting the Message Bible, "Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don't burn our; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help the needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody. Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do."

Read Proverbs 23:1-18
More good guidelines to live by:
6. Maintain good manners.
7. Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich.
8. Be wise to the intentions of others
9. Cheat no one
10. Value instruction & knowledge
11. Discipline children