Wild Olives

"As you know, God has appointed me as a special messenger to you Gentiles. I lay great stress on this and remind the Jews about it as often as I can, so that if possible I can make them want what you Gentiles have and in that way save some of them. And how wonderful it will be when they become Christians! When God turned away from them it meant that he turned to the rest of the world to offer his salvation; and now it is even more wonderful when the the Jews come to Christ. It will be like dead people coming back to life.  And since Abraham and the prophets are God's people, their children will be too. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be too."  Paul speaking to the Romans. (Romans 11:13-16)

 This morning in my quiet time as I continued my study of Romans, God once more encouraged me about prayers for the unsaved, for those who have slipped away from the teachings of their youth, especially for those of us who are praying for family members, and more importantly for our children who may be struggling in their faith and search for truth.  I have shared with you so many times about how I was called by God in my childhood, and although I have continuously failed Him, I have never turned from my faith in Him and in His power to save, heal, and deliver.  He has always been my constant companion, even when I was rebelliously seeking other things.  He is so faithful to us, and I know His love is true.

When we are young, as parents, we try so hard to make the right choices in teaching and training our children for life.  We are not handed an instruction booklet as parents, although we do have the best Book of all. Yet we listen to Dr. Spock and old wives' tales rather than adhere to the path that is straight and true.  God says in the Word that if we "train a child in the way he should go, when he is old it will not depart from him." (Proverbs 22:2) Whereas that is one to cleave to, and believe me, I do...the verses above about "the roots of the tree being holy, so the branches will be too" gave me greater strength in my prayers.  Now wait, you may say, that was a promise for the Jews, the seed of Abraham.  True enough, but then we read on:

 "But some of these branches from Abraham's tree, some of the Jews, have been broken off. And you Gentiles who were branches from, we might say, a wild olive tree, were grafted in. So now you, too, receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in God's rich nourishment of his own special olive tree." (Romans 8:17)

 

 What a wonderful thing God has done for us!  My heart rejoiced!  I have been engrafted into the Vine through faith in Christ Jesus my Lord!  This gives us great joy and relief knowing that our children, loved ones, and friends have seen the light of Christ in our lives, so they will turn from their waywardness, as we did, and accept His great gift. I broke down in tears, praising God, once more for the word He'd given me two years ago concerning my family.

But then Paul kind of puts a damper on things when he tells the captive Roman audience, "But you must be careful not to brag about being put in to replace the branches that were broken off. Remember that you are important only because you are now a part of God's tree; you are just a branch, not a root." (Romans 11:18)

Now let this be a sign to you...satan tries to distract us and steal our joy, right?!  Well, don't let him!  He's a liar after all.  That's a truth you can take to the bank!  As I thought about the words Paul spoke to the proud Romans, my heart beginning to wonder, I thought, "No! God is not a man that He would lie to me!  He told me, and I believe!"  Immediately God spoke to my heart, reminding me that I have been engrafted into the vine of Christ Jesus whose roots grow deep and are watered by Father God, One True Root!  So I am rooted and grounded in Christ Jesus by faith and by accepting Him as my Savior and Lord!  By grace we have been saved, and so much more...the gifts He gives to us free and clear in the forgiveness of our sins!  I cannot tell you how much this brought greater joy to me as I continue to stand for the people I love and for the nations He has given me as my inheritance.  And He gives them to all who ask according to Psalms 2:8, "Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession."  This call of God extends into the world, beginning with our own back yards, and the people we influence daily.  I am always inviting people to ask God to break your heart for what breaks His.  It will change your lives!  So as I praised Him, thanking Him for once more reminding me of His love for me and the validity of His word, I once more humbly asked Him once more to break my heart for what breaks His. I invite you to do the same, as His engrafted vine, the off shoot of His mercy.