4/7/17
Kayla Hepler
Romans 11:13-24
God never gives up on people, even when they stray away from their faith. In this passage, the Gentiles experienced more of God’s grace, joy, power, and blessings even after rejecting their faith. God had a plan for them, as He does for all of us. Paul refers to the “spiritual tree”; we are the branches and God is our life-giving roots, providing us nourishment and support as we grow our faith and produce fruit. He goes on to describe how we are the branches that may be broken off, but every branch has the invitation to be “grafted in”. This is a beautiful illustration of God’s grace. God is the roots. We may stray away from him from time to time, but he is always ready to accept us, and graft us back into the tree to help us grow and thrive.
How often do we go about our lives trying to figure out things on our own instead of coming to God for support? I don’t know about you, but I know that I’m more of a “figure it out on my own” kind of person and rarely seek God for help in my “everyday” struggles. I know I need to focus more on coming to God for help with comfort and strength because He never fails to provide. Just like the image of the tree, God is the roots of our daily life. Without the support, strength and acceptance we receive from our relationship with God, our lives become more complicated and difficult to navigate. Seek God for your concerns and you will find support. No matter where your faith may be, God’s love and grace is always available and ready to accept you. He will graft you in and provide the necessary nourishment to help you grow strong and produce much fruit!
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for your patience and kindness as we lose our way at times. Please let us find our way back to you during these moments of struggle. Help us to reach out to others as they stray away and help us to share your grace. Amen.