Romans 9:^11-12 “…a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.)…” (emphasis added).

People can argue from now till tomorrow that this person is good or bad, but if God has chosen the person, God has chosen the person. God chooses people according to His own purposes, not according to their good or bad works. God knows more than us. If we insist that our limited scope of knowledge must determine the affairs of life, we do ourselves a big disservice. Don’t you see people who are not even worthy of things being elevated to certain positions? And you wonder how it can be? It is because God chooses people according to His own purposes, not according to their good or bad works.

If God has a purpose and He knows that this person can accomplish it, He will raise the person to do it, and still punish the person for the bad things they have done. Take Pharaoh, for example, God wanted to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt and deal with Egypt for all the bad things they had done to the children of Israel. So, God hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and that caused all the drama that happened (Read Exodus 1 – 14). In the end, Israel entered into their promised land, and Pharaoh was dealt with. God can raise someone who is destined for destruction and use the person to achieve His purposes for your life.

Do you know God can feed you with Ravens? Ravens are very stingy Birds, yet God used them to feed Elijah. God chooses according to His purposes. I am completely committed to His purposes only. His plans can change, but God’s purposes exist forever. If God wants to promote you, He can choose to use anyone for that purpose. Don’t get too sentimental with God; you may not like the person He is using. But if He is using them, just receive the blessing and move on. Romans 9:^14-16 “Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not!  For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.”

Then what is the point, you may say, why can’t I just do what I want to do, and God will do whatever He wants to do? This is where understanding the complete picture becomes necessary. Romans 9:^17-18 “For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.” So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.” I pray that your heart will not be hardened.

Prayer: Father, I commit afresh to Your purposes for my generation, in Jesus Name. Amen!

Romans 9:^11-12 “…God spoke these words before the sons had done anything good or bad, which proves that God calls people not on the basis of their good or bad works, but according to his divine purpose.” (TPT).

Yesterday, we said that God’s divine election or selection can be a challenge to certain people, and I will explain. So, God chose a man, Abraham, and said to him, I will have mercy on you and make you into a great nation. Through you, Abraham, the families of the earth will be blessed. Through you, Abraham, the Messiah will come, who will include the families of the earth, as many as receive Him, into this. So, Abraham had Isaac and other children, but God chose Isaac. Isaac had Jacob and Esau. Jacob became Israel, through Jacob, God continued the blessings, but not with Esau. Romans 9:^6-7 “Well then, has God failed to fulfil his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God’s people! Being descendants of Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted,” though Abraham had other children, too.”

The reason Paul was asking this question is this: Jesus had come at this time, and the Gentiles (the other people of the world), and some Jews had accepted Jesus. But largely, the nation of Israel to whom God primarily promised this blessing rejected Christ. But we have now become a part of the Commonwealth of Israel and members of the Covenant that God gave because of Jesus. So, because of Jesus, the whole world, as many as accept Him, becomes a part of that Covenant tree. So, Paul was wrestling with the fact that this nation of Israel, as a people, had rejected Christ. So, being descendants of Abraham does not make them Abraham’s children according to the promise. So, you can come out of someone, and not be the person’s child. In other words, they are not accepted in the Beloved.

Romans 9:^10-13 “…Rebekah …gave birth to twins. But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.” In the words of the Scriptures, “I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.” (emphasis added). You cannot fight God’s election. Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy, I will show compassion on whom I will show compassion. Heaven will show you mercy in the Name of Jesus. Rather than being preoccupied with whether it is fair or not, just receive God’s mercy.

Prayer: Father, I receive Your mercy and I thank You for choosing me according to Your own divine plan and purposes, in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen!