February 2 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Romans 9:14-26:

¹⁴What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
¹⁵For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
¹⁶So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
¹⁷For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
¹⁸Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
¹⁹Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
²⁰Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
²¹Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
²²What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
²³And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
²⁴Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
²⁵As he saith also in Osee [Hosea], I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
²⁶And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

Devotional

God is sovereign. He has created all things, and He rules over all. He brings low and lifts up. God is the Judge; He judges the ends of the earth. He puts down one, and sets up another. "Who will say unto him, What doest thou"?

God is merciful. He will have mercy on whom He will have mercy, no matter how great the sins. And this mercy of the Lord is "from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and his righteousness unto children's children." God is holy and just. He is just also when He hardens a person's heart. That must not be understood as if God arbitrarily hardens persons to prepare them for destruction or even as if He had created them unto condemnation. But God hardens persons when they willfully and persistently reject the Word of God. Was not Pharaoh warned? Did he not say, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice"? Did he not harden his own heart? God was just when he hardened Pharaoh's heart. Does not Paul write: "Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved; for this cause God shall send them strong delusion (a working of error) that they should believe a lie?" That is justice on the part of God.

Let us hold fast: "The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works." "Gracious is the Lord and righteous; yea, our God is merciful." "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? For thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest."

Prayer

Most merciful God, our heavenly Father, help us to fear Thee, for Thou art our God, holy and righteous. Help us to adore Thee for ail Thy righteous judgments. Help us to glorify Thy name, for it is above every name. Continue to show us Thy mercy, and may we trust under the shadow of Thy wings. Unto Thee the true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we would ascribe all praise. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: 1 Sam. 2:7, 10; Ps. 75:7; Job 9:12, Ex. 10; 2 Thess. 2:10, 11; Ps. 145:17; 116:5; 19:9. Rev. 15:4.

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