Contemplative Bible Reading

Romans 9:11b-12a (New Living Translation)

11 (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; 12 he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.)

I am quoting an odd scripture or an odd translation of scripture. This is a phrase in parentheses that spans two verses. Odd way to put something, but I didn’t do the translation. Anyways…

Paul is writing to the Christians in Rome and mentions how God used Rebekah, the wife of the patriarch Isaac. It gives me one insight into the workings of God. I don’t always like the way God works, but that is a problem I have with God being God and me not being God (a common failing).

God chooses people to do the things God wants accomplished here on earth. There is something to be done, and God knows who is the right person to do it. God doesn’t worry too much about the person’s prior actions. God chooses.

Well, surely God would choose those whom I would choose? Right? Wrong. God chose David, the runt of the family of Jesse. God chose Samuel, a little boy not in the tribe of Levi. God chose Peter, a conniving fellow who often spoke before thinking. God chose Zacchaeus, a small fellow who couldn’t work like a man so he chose tax theft to make a living. The list of examples goes on.

God chooses people to His own purposes. I don’t know where God is going with something. I don’t understand how God chooses or why or when or where. Serve God in whatever way.