God's Purpose

 DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS

GOD’S PURPOSE

Rom 9:16-18

16 It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."   18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

NIV

Are we getting the pictures yet? Paul wants to make it extremely clear that our life is not about our desires, whether good or evil. Our life is about the very purpose of God, doing good for us whether takes someone who desires to do good or someone who desires to do evil. It doesn’t even matter how much effort we put into either the good or the evil, for everything in our lives depends on God’s mercy. Even within the pagan society with all, its false gods, God oversaw, no intervened, perhaps, orchestrated this Pharoah to power over Egypt at the exact moment in time, who was already filled with a heart hard toward the Israelites, punishing them, mistreating them out of fear of their numbers. This was all God, using a man whose heart was hard and empowering that hardness. To say God selected a good heart and turned it hard, would be wrong thinking, This Pharoah's heart was already like stone, proved by his treatment of God’s people. Yes, it was for the good of Israel his people, but the fullness of all that was so God’s power would be displayed. Once again, this life is not about our glory, but about his. We are fully aware of the boastfulness of men. Some of us need to boast of all our education, experience, and history as we see written in resumes to obtain just another rung on the ladder of life. But what baffles us is why we believers boast about our education or credentials? We already should know if there is anything or anyone to boast about, it is Christ. Can we testify to what God has done for us and in us and through us? Why we sure better give him all the praise and glory for all he is done, for if we don’t, he will raise up stones to praise him. In fact, the whole earth gives him praise and displays his power and majesty. Let us fully grasp that as God raised up Pharoah to display his might that his name would be proclaimed in all the earth, why do we not think that God has raised us up, lifted us out of the darkness into his marvelous light so that he could display his power and his very purpose. Once again, this is all about God’s divine mercy according to his plan. Let our hearts always remain supple, and flexible in the hands of our God, so that we will always be displaying his power and mercy, proclaiming his glory forever and ever.