JMD Devotional 231 Romans 9:27-33 The Compound Interest of Faith

And Isaiah calls out (solemnly cries aloud) over Israel: Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, only the remnant (a small part of them) will be saved [from perdition, condemnation, judgment]! For the Lord will execute His sentence upon the earth [He will conclude and close His account with men completely and without delay], rigorously cutting it short in His justice. It is as Isaiah predicted, If the Lord of hosts had not left us a seed [from which to propagate descendants], we [Israel] would have fared like Sodom and have been made like Gomorrah. What shall we say then? That Gentiles who did not follow after righteousness [who did not seek salvation by right relationship to God] have attained it by faith [a righteousness imputed by God, based on and produced by faith], Whereas Israel, though ever in pursuit of a law [for the securing] of righteousness (right standing with God), actually did not succeed in fulfilling the Law.
For what reason? Because [they pursued it] not through faith, relying [instead] on the merit of their works [they did not depend on faith but on what they could do]. They have stumbled over the Stumbling Stone. As it is written, Behold I am laying in Zion a Stone that will make men stumble, a Rock that will make them fall; but he who believes in Him [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] shall not be put to shame nor be disappointed in his expectations.

In the Douglas Adams’ science fiction parody/trilogy, ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ there is a ‘Restaurant at the End of the Universe,’ suspended in hyperspace, that provides a spectacular view in fast-forward of everything from the Big Bang to the final implosion of all matter. The cost of providing this ‘last meal’ is outrageously expensive, but it is provided ‘free’ to each patron. Since the proprietors are in a time warp, they simply deposit a penny in each person’s account when the first bank opens and they withdraw a fortune just before the implosion (isn’t compound interest wonderful!) It is said that our faith is more precious than gold. We deposit so little, (mere mustard seeds), and yet God does so much with it. He reforms and regenerates us, pardons our sins, grants us eternal life, and makes us ‘royalty’ that will rule and reign with Him in eternity. We need to ponder this blessing, and how fortunate we are to belong to Him.

Dear God,
I do so look forward to the Wedding Feast with the Lamb of God. I expect to look back on the sorrows and losses of this life and wear them as badges of honor in Your Kingdom; perhaps I’ll have more brass on my chest than Fidel Castro! Thank You for clearly promising that my faith and endurance and allegiance will be massively rewarded in Heaven. There are also more subtle rewards that I enjoy even now as You cultivate the maturity to appreciate the finer things of spiritual life. I already have one hundred times anything I had to give up to come to You; and the best is yet to come! People of faith, praise God! Thank You for being so good to us!
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

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