Daily Walk Through the New Testament
November 11
Read Romans 11:1-21

God chose the nation of Israel to be a visible manifestation of His mercy and kindness. They were to be a light to the nations of the world. God loved the people of Israel and blessed them in many ways. Yet, as a nation, Israel turned away from God. We see this over and over in the Old Testament. They often forsook the Lord and worshiped pagan gods. They rejected the warnings of God’s prophets and profaned God’s name. The ultimate sin of Israel was the rejection of Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
Amazingly, God never turned away from Israel. There has always been a remnant of Jews who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and God has welcomed them into His family. There are more Jews coming to Christ today than at any other time in history. When Israel turned away from God, He stretched His hand out to the Gentile world. They were not the original vine, but in His great love, He grafted them in. Those of us who are Gentile believers in Jesus must never give way to a spirit of pride. Our being in the family of God has nothing to do with who or what we are; it is all because of His mercy and kindness.
Today, all Christians, whether Jewish of Gentile, are to be His light in a dark world. With great humility, our lives should show forth His mercy and kindness to a world that so desperately needs to know Jesus. Let your light shine for His glory!