Good stuff from Romans 9

You should stop what you're doing right now and read Romans 9 in the Message translation/paraphrase.

This was a part of my Bible reading today and reading it in The Message gives me a whole new perspective on what Paul is saying. There are two passages that really jump out at me.

I’ll call nobodies and make them somebodies;
    I’ll call the unloved and make them beloved.
In the place where they yelled out, “You’re nobody!”
    they’re calling you “God’s living children.”

Isn't it awesome that God called nobodies and makes them somebodies, and that he called the love and makes them beloved? We need to rest in that today.

The other passage comes a few verses later:

All those people who didn’t seem interested in what God was doing actually embraced what God was doing as he straightened out their lives. And Israel, who seemed so interested in reading and talking about what God was doing, missed it. How could they miss it? Because instead of trusting God, they took over. They were absorbed in what they themselves were doing. They were so absorbed in their “God projects” that they didn’t notice God right in front of them, like a huge rock in the middle of the road. And so they stumbled into him and went sprawling.

I love this picture: Those who weren't interested in God end up embracing God as he works in their lives, and those who love to talk about God and what he's supposed to be doing actually miss him because of all they were "doing" for God.

This is good stuff. Marinate in it today.