SWHW Bible Reading Plan: November 2021Sample

Top Takeaway from Somer Phoebus:

Romans 9 can be hard. Especially if you're still trying to wrap your head around understanding who God is, or if you're having a hard time reconciling His goodness within the framework of this broken world.

Two things: 

1. The best way to get to know who God is is to ask Him to show you who He is. Yes, study Him. Yes, read your Bible and look for Him in every verse. But don't neglect simply asking. If your desire is to know Him better, Scripture promises that He will make Himself known to you. 

“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” 

Psalm 37:4

2. I would ask you to try to see this broken world within the framework of God's goodness and not try to see God's goodness in the framework of this broken world. You'll have a really hard time understanding God when you try to understand Him through the eyes of the world. But on the flip side, when examined the other way, the amount of love and compassion you will feel for people when you see them through the eyes of God will overwhelm you in the most beautiful way. 

It's kind of like Paul explained in verses 1-2:

“I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.”

Paul was super burdened for those that had bought into the belief that they needed to "work" their way into a relationship with God or that somehow they could earn their eternal home in Heaven. He preached the same message in all of his missionary journeys, over and over telling people that Jesus is the only way. That His death on the cross paid the price for our sins, and it was nothing we could do but what Jesus did. 

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

But the really hard part in trying to understand Romans 9 (and for many of us, trying to understand God) is that some people won't believe, and that just doesn't make sense because if God is in control, then why can't God just make us all follow Him?

Listen, I wish I could explain it. But God is God, and I am not, so I will not expect to understand God-sized concepts in my human-sized brain. Which means I'm going to need to practice faith here. 

Faith that God is good.
Faith that His plan is best.
Faith that what I don't know, I don't need to know. 

So what do I take from Romans 9?

I take on Paul's burden. A burden to reach as many souls as possible with the true gospel so that they don't miss it. So that they will choose Christ. So that Heaven can be their eternal home. 

God, make me confident and bold. Even when I can't fully grasp Your ways, help me to obey Your calling. Send me to those that need you and help me show them Your love. Thank You for dying for me. Thank You for the gospel! I love You, God. Amen.