Father, thank You for Your hand on the people of Your choosing — the descendants of Abraham. Thank You for Your divine providence, and for Your hand of judgment on them when they colored outside the lines You established.
I am often chagrined when I think of how they missed Your Messiah — and yet the atoning death of Jesus, which they helped precipitate, paid the price for all time.
As our Jewish friends celebrate Rosh Hashana this year, please open their eyes once again to understand the significance of Jesus coming to redeem them as well as us... even me.
Thank You for Your love and care — and when You are ready, come get those of us whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Praise Your name forever and ever. Amen.
Verses for Today:
"For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done." (Acts 4:27–28)
"He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities." (Isaiah 53:5)
"And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son." (Zechariah 12:10)
Paul's own heart-cry and hope:
"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved." (Romans 10:1)
And the mystery he unfolds — a word of hope for exactly this prayer:
"For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?" (Romans 11:15)
