The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Romans 10:13-15,
"'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'"
In speaking of God's pursuit of us, Paul quotes from Joel 2:32. In Joel, the "great and dreadful day of the Lord" is prophesied as a time when those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. There we read that deliverance will happen "among the survivors whom the Lord calls."
Who is it the Lord calls? Back in Romans 10, Paul answers by again quoting from the Scriptures, "Did they not hear? Of course they did: 'Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.'" Psalm 19:4. In this psalm David speaks of how God's creation is his witness. "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." Psalm 19:1-4. God's creation speaks to all mankind. In another passage Paul refers to the creation as a testimony from God, leaving all who reject him without excuse, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20. God's creation speaks to all mankind and Paul's point is that the gospel is going out to all mankind. God is calling us all to himself.
When Paul speaks of those who are sent to preach the gospel, he speaks of God's pursuit of us. God wants us all. When I read Jesus' words, "For God so loved the world" I am reminded of Paul's comment to Timothy, "...[God] wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." God wants us all and he pursues us all. The purpose of this life is God populating his kingdom. Consequently, God is sending out folks with a message, a message of good news!
"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:18-21.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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