What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory[.]

Romans 9

What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory[.] Romans 9:22-23

This morning, I continued my study of Romans.  Using my commentary - Exalting Jesus in Romans (eBook) - I started chapter thirteen God's Word Has Not Failed, which covers Romans 9:1-29.  My focus today is Romans 9:19-23, which my commentary refers to under the heading Truth 3: God Has the Right of a Potter over His Clay.  In these verses, Paul continues to make the case for the gospel.  He poses several rhetorical questions, including how can we resist God and what standing do we have to question God? He responds by using a reference to Old Testament imagery as found in Jeremiah 18 (see also Isaiah 29, 45) and elsewhere.  God, as the Potter can do as he chooses with us, just as He does with His clay - we are clay in His hands...and we are to remember most importantly v23 in that we exist for God's glory and not for our own.

My commentary describes how Paul skirts the question of human responsibility and instead focuses on the questioner's pride, which Paul knows is a key obstacle to faith. It goes on to state that while we are not "mere lumps of clay, but the analogy is fitting: [God] is free, and he has the right to do with the clay as he pleases.  We are encouraged to see how scripture is clear on this by looking at Psalm 115:3, and at Job 42:1-6, where after God's rebuke, Job submits to God and has a more clear view of who God is and how God reigns. Finally in v22-23, we are reminded to see how God is merciful and He has "endured with much patience" our sin and disobedience and we are to see how God does this so that we can make much of God and glorify Him with our lives as a response.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of patience and mercy for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings and how You pour these out for me daily.  My sin of anger, harsh words, etc. continue.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

John 6

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” v8-9

In John 6, we have  Jesus feeding the five thousand, a story most believers know.  My focus is on Andrew, who is not as well known as most of the other disciples. Andrew is noted in John's account of this story but not in the other gospels' accounts.  

While Andrew is not well known (go here for more on Andrew), we see him pointing a young boy to Jesus - this young boy plays a prominent and up close role in one of Jesus' more well known miracles.  This was a divine appointment indeed and an encouragement for all of us that think we cannot do enough to make a God-sized impact.  The ironic aspect of such thinking is that THIS is the point of Jesus and Holy Spirit - that we NEED Jesus to overcome the world (John 16:33) and through Him we have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:18-21).  Once we recognize this, we should worry less about what we do and instead focus on what He can and will do THROUGH us.  

Just as Andrew was, we are all ordinary human beings but special in the eyes of God and clay in the hands of the potter (God) who is able to sculpt miracles in, for, and through us. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has done many, many amazing things in, for, and through me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such blessings and love.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.

Proverbs 22

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away. v15

Tuesday, I posted about fatherhood and parenting and once again this is our topic today.  As a parent we are train our children, most importantly in the ways of the Lord.  Part of this training includes discipline:

Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them. Proverbs 13:24

 

Discipline is something that all of us must experience, even as adults.  God continues to mold us and we experience discipline, hardship, punishment, etc. as part of God's refining process.

Yet you, Lord, are our Father.  We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God, full of love, compassion, patience, etc. for me - Thank You Jesus!  Yet I am not worthy of such love.  I am broken and I continue to sin.  Please forgive me for my lack of patience for others.  Help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You alone as their Lord and Savior.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.