Pray:
Ask God to orient or reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.
Read:
Romans 15:17-22,
“Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.”
Understand:
Paul was proud of what he had done and he had reason to be proud. But his pride was different from that of the world—he wasn’t just focused on his own personal achievements but instead was focused on what Christ had accomplished through him. He says the same thing in 2 Corinthians, where he acknowledged that his “competence comes from God” (2 Cor 3:5). Paul was reflecting back over his life and remembering all God had done through him. Paul, by faithfully carrying out his priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel to the Gentiles, had served as Christ’s instrument in leading the Gentiles to obedience to God. Like the ancient heralds who walked throughout the city proclaiming only what the king chose to make known, so Paul served as an ambassador of Christ (cf. 2 Cor 5:18–20) spreading the gospel of God. Isn’t that a powerful thought!
You and I have the same calling to share the gospel (Matt.28). As we go about our day we’re to take the opportunities we have to make God’s love known to others as we grow in the knowledge of the truth of God.
Apply:
I can’t help but think that what was true for Paul is true for me and you as well. For example, when we think back over our lives, we should be blown away by the many things the Lord as done in and through us. I’m not talking about the kind of thoughts that lead to self-centeredness—hey look at me kind of pridefulness, but the kind of thoughts that lead us to say, “Wow, as we stand in amazement of God!” it’s the kind of “WOW” that both humbles and excites us at the same time. What I’m trying to say is hard for me to put in words.
So let me tell you how I feel about my own life and what Christ has done in it. When I think about my life sense Christ came into it, I’m blown away! I think about where I came from, the things that I’ve done in the past, how screwed up I was and still am in some degrees… I was a nobody in the eyes of the world, just some dumb kid from west Texas, who had no direction, no real hope in his life… I was lost in every sense of the word. But then God made himself known to me! And the course of my life was forever changed! And now some 34 years later I stand in awe of God! When I look where my journey has taken me to today and knowing where I started, all I can say is WOW! All I can do is to boast in the Lord for what he has done. You see, it’s not me, but it is Him—to God be the glory for ever and ever!
How about you, will you boast in the Lord today for the mighty things he has done in your life? You should.
*From what you have just read and considered: What is a personal implication/application for your life today?
Live:
(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.)
Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the Gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today. KEEP PRAYING THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY.
Inspiration and insight for the devotionals came from the following books: Reading Romans with John Stott; The Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World (The Bible Speaks Today Series), Stott, John; Romans (The NIV Application Commentary Book 6) Moo, Douglas J.; Encountering the Book of Romans: A Theological Survey (Encountering Biblical Studies) Moo, Douglas J.; Believers Bible Commentary; The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, with the New International Version, Romans through Galatians; NIV Application Study Bible. The Cambridge Bible Commentary, Romans, Best, Ernest. Romans 8-16 For You: For reading, for feeding (God’s Word For You – Romans Series Book 2, Keller, Timothy.