Tuesday 10 April 2018

Psalm: Psalm 37:1-11

Background

Written by the Apostle Paul, the letter to Romans is often referred to as the ‘Christian rule book’ or the book to read if you want to know the meaning of life. Paul planned to visit the church in Rome, but before he did, he wrote to them to explain his beliefs in the hope that they would reflect on their own Christian faith before he arrived.

The letter explains that people have sinned and that God sent his son, Jesus, to save them from their sins and therefore reconcile them to God.

What would happen if we all walked into a room and introduced ourselves the same way Paul does in this passage? “Hello, my name is [insert your name here]. God has called me to tell you about Jesus Christ and that you should apply Christ’s teachings to your life – you belong to Christ”. That would be quite a brave thing to do, yet Paul does just this. He has to do this because at that time, Rome was the place to be and Paul knew that he was writing to an educated group. The people of Rome were cultural, knowledgeable and powerful.

If anyone ever asks you “what is the good news?”, guide them to verses 3 and 4:

“the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord”.

Paul calls us to consider our place in sharing the good news – acting out our faith for the good of God's kingdom, living for God's glory and doing this all by sheer faith. Believing in a king who saves us.

To Ponder

• What purpose do you think God has for your life?
• How does it feel to know that God, who knows you by name, calls you to be in a loving relationship with them through Jesus Christ?
• Pray that you may be guided by this passage today.