Romans 1:14-17--Angela

Father,
I pray a special blessing of peace for my dear friend, Tina. She needs a gentle touch from You right now. Give her Your perspective. Bring her to a higher place to see all that You are up to for her and her family. Give her the assurance that You haven't left her and that You are always and forever in her court. Bring revelation and reality to Your deep affection for her. Give her eyes to read Your Words afresh, especially the Words of promise and blessing for her, Mark, and their children. Lord, infuse her with wisdom, perspective, and clear direction. Give her a vision for their future and help her to hold onto it no matter what circumstances may be. ~Amen.

vs. 14 "I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish."
Paul's heart beats for every person. His message is for every type of person, from every walk of life, from every station. Whatever he says applies to me, it applies to you, it applies to the wealthiest of the wealthy and to the poorest of the poor. It applies to every person in every religious sect, and it applies to every atheist out there. No one is exempt from his message, his prayers, his hopes, and his dreams. He lived to see Jesus get His full reward.

vs. 15 "That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome."
His calling gives him gumption, enthusiasm, and joy. Eager is a word I associate with my children. They are eager to try new things, to be with me, to talk to me, to show me their greatest inventions or their dollies' new outfits. He is eager to share because this message of freedom is so amazing, and it's for everyone!!


vs. 16 "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile."
I am coming close to having this same boldness and excitement about the power of the gospel to save, heal, and deliver those who hear the good news of Jesus. Everyone who believes! I am intrigued by the order Paul shares here...first the Jew, then the Gentile. I don't quite understand how this all works, though I have been impressed in recent years by the import of the Jews in Jesus' mind. I know this speaks of order, and I also know it speaks of Paul's heart for his own people. I think it also speaks of the mystery of the Old Testament and the crimson cord of salvation that runs through the pages of Jewish history, the prophets, and the wisdom literature of the Old Testament.


vs. 17 "For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'"
Paul lends credence to my theory about the crimson cord running through the Old Testament by quoting Habakkuk 2:4 (2:3-5 says: For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and not delay. See, [the wicked foe] is puffed up; his desires are not upright--but the righteous will live by his faith--indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples.") The righteous shall live by faith is a very powerful saying that is quoted all the time in Christian circles. What is the evidence that we are living a life of faith? That we wait patiently, trusting His timing. That we read His Word and believe that everything He says about us (the righteous) is true and is for us and is for today. The passage in Habakkuk implies that the righteous have peace and are satisfied...content, filled with gratitude. The wicked one strives and gathers people unto himself as though they are his resource, his sustenance. The righteous one trusts in God alone and does not lean on another person to give him his daily bread. This is a lesson I have been learning for my own life. How to put my trust in God to provide instead of in my husband or even in myself...to put my hand to the plow, yes, but not to carry the burden of the outcome of the works of my hands. Instead, I rely on Him for the outcome and His perfect timing.


Prayer Request: We are in a season where this reality is being tested fully. My husband felt the Lord calling him to completely surrender in the area of provision. He quit his job without another one to take its place. We are pressing into the Lord for His provision, for His direction, and for His peace through this time. I have had to daily take my fears to God (as we do not have enough to pay October's utilities or November's rent) and rely on His Word to daily increase my faith for His promise to provide. This morning, I woke with the same fear of not having enough (plus having to deal with invisible fleas that are eating my kids alive despite the fact that we have no animals!). After washing bedding and vacuuming all morning, I went to Him in despair. He encouraged me to continue looking up the passages on "treasure" that I started looking up a couple of weeks ago. I was so encouraged. I know He is going to provide. I don't know how, but I know I am to keep putting one foot in front of the other and trust Him to show us the way. We need prayer, just as you do. This has a make-it-or-break-it feeling to it. Eric has long been searching for his place in this world, for vision, and for confidence to make his mark. I am weary of the cycles and the fears and the uncertainties. I am weary of the pressure and his depression. I am seeing signs of him coming out of that, and I am seeing signs of cycles being broken, but I face the fear every day. I know you are in a similar place with Mark, with a lot less clarity and a ton more fear. As we pray for each other, I think the Lord will lift the veil and bring more peace, more joy, and more confidence in the foundations He is laying for our families in this season of uncertainty. I love you, my friend.


~Angela