For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
Rom. 12
Who would you like to take revenge on? How could you do good for them instead? “Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom. 12:21). If we respond to evil as it provokes us to respond, we can consider ourselves overcome. Evil seeks to induce more evil. But two wrongs never made a right, so a natural response to evil only strengthens it. If, however, we respond with good – a very unnatural response – evil loses its power. So we fight evil, not by attacking back in kind, but by holding fast to truth and love. As Jesus said, “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matt. 24:12).
Ezek. 21-22
What does this chapter reveal about God’s methods in working out His purposes? Where do you see God working in your life? God can and will work His purpose whether we regard Him or not. The King of Babylon may have sought his omens and consulted his idols, but he received his answer from God. I think it would be more accurate, however, to say that God has already worked His purpose. God described exactly what the king would do and the outcome as if it had already happened.
It blows my mind whenever I stop to consider God’s perspective from outside of time. I am a time-bound creature and simply cannot fathom it. When I read passages like this, I can’t help but think that it’s as if God has written and produced a movie and we are all now just watching it play out. That thought then begs the question, if we are merely playing out the part God wrote for us, how can we be personally responsible for the outcome? Paul addressed this question quite a bit in the book of Romans, but it is still difficult, if not impossible, to wrap your head around.
What Paul boils it down to, tough, is faith. Faith has several components, and I formed an acronym of the word to remind me of some of the major things that faith requires.
- Fear – The scope of who God is should make us feel very small, inadequate, and vulnerable.
- Acceptance – We need to acknowledge who God is, in all His incomprehensible scope, and be okay with it.
- Intentionality – We need to make a constant, conscious effort to remember who God is and live accordingly.
- Trust – We need to surrender to God, not fight Him, knowing His ways are better than ours.
- Humility – We need to know our insignificance and be okay with it.
I know there are a lot of other words and ways to try to describe what it means to have faith. But one thing I know is not required is understanding. At least not the kind that makes us think we have a firm grasp on how God works. In fact a big part of faith and all its components is knowing and accepting that God is far beyond our understanding.