Not as Though

5.28.2010

Romans 9:6 6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel... ESV

There are many today who think the word of God is a myth, and therefore, not the word of God. There are many who think Christians are miserable hypocrites because they cannot keep the word of God (which they hope is a myth anyway). There are many who go to church each week and their reasons for being there, right, wrong, or indifferent, are as varied in number as they are in number; but it is not as though the word of God failed.

Some seem to think it would be a better world if the word of God failed. Some seem to espouse that it’s better if we just throw up our hands and say like Tevye, Who can really understand what God is saying anyway? But it’s not as though the word of God failed, for not all who claim to really know God really know God.

A book I read recently said it’s not relationship with the Bible; it’s relationship with God. But we all have relationship with God through the Bible because that is the revealed source of His communication with us. But reading words on a page means nothing without a loving relationship with Him. So if anything has failed it’s our hearts; it’s our lives.

The antidote (yes, that’s really a word and it’s not anecdote which is also a word and the two are abysmally interchangeably misused) is faith in the calling of God. I must heed His call by faith and live my life by faith in what He’s said to me through His word – either His word isn’t working or I’m not – one or the other. I’ll go with ‘b’…

Father in Heaven,

You’ve chosen for me to live with You by Your word; keeping it, listening to it, and doing what it says. You’ve said the just shall live by faith and so I put my faith in You and Your finished work through Christ Jesus, my Lord – in His Name, amen.