The promise

DEVOTION
ROMANS
THE PROMISE
Rom 9:6-9

6 It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. 9 For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."
NIV
As I struggle with all of chapter 9 I am still made aware of how precious is my relationship with God. I can see how the Children of Israel are not actually the children of Israel, although they certainly could be. But as I have learned other parts of the letter, circumcision of the flesh does not made you a child of Israel, but rather circumcision of the heart. Isaac was a promise to Abraham, Isaac was the promised son, who had the two son Jacob and Esau, of which God changed Jacobs name to Israel. The descendents of Israel are by a promise, by another promised son, Jesus. At the appointed time I will return and Mary will have a son. At the appointed time I will return and God will have many sons. Oh how awesome is this truth. I am a son of Israel because of I am descendent of the true and living God. Yes, I am a son of God, a co-heir with Christ, one of the promised ones. I am circumcised of the heart by God himself through His Holy Spirit. Not so much in the illusion of the natural world, but certainly in the reality of spiritual realms.