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Romans 9: Paul's Heart is Broken for His People | Daily Devotion Series · Growing Closer to God with Guided Meditation

• 0:05
  Pastor Robert Young: Today's meditation is coming from the book of Romans, chapter nine.
• 0:10
  Pastor Robert Young: Romans chapter nine is a chapter of deep emotions and deep mystery.
• 0:17
  Pastor Robert Young: Paul opens his heart and lets us see his grief for his own people, Israel.
• 0:27
  Pastor Robert Young: The people who carried the covenant, the promises, the worship, the lineage of the Messiah, yet many did not believe.
• 0:39
  Pastor Robert Young: He then leads us into the mystery of God's sovereignty, that God's purposes have always unfolded through his calling, not human effort or ancestry.
• 0:55
  Pastor Robert Young: God shows mercy freely, he chooses freely, and fulfills his promises faithfully.
• 1:05
  Pastor Robert Young: And at the end of the chapter, Paul shows how Gentiles found righteousness through faith while Israel stumbled over Christ, the very cornerstone meant to save them.
• 1:20
  Pastor Robert Young: Imagine Paul sitting at a table late at night, a single lamp burning, the parchment spread before him.
• 1:39
  Pastor Robert Young: His heart is heavy.
• 1:42
  Pastor Robert Young: He thinks of faces, family, childhood friends, rabbis, neighbors, people that he loves deeply, people who know the scriptures better than anyone.
• 1:57
  Pastor Robert Young: Yet somehow they miss the Messiah standing right in front of them.
• 2:04
  Pastor Robert Young: He begins to write with tears in his eyes.
• 2:09
  Pastor Robert Young: I would give up everything, even my own place with Christ, if it meant they would be saved.
• 2:17
  Pastor Robert Young: Friends, his grief is real, it's raw, and it's personal.
• 2:24
  Pastor Robert Young: But then Paul shifts his lens.
• 2:27
  Pastor Robert Young: He reminds us that God's story has never been about human lineage alone.
• 2:34
  Pastor Robert Young: Isaac was chosen, not Ishmael.
• 2:38
  Pastor Robert Young: Jacob was chosen, not Esau, before either had done anything good or bad.
• 2:47
  Pastor Robert Young: God's calling has always been rooted in his purpose, not human merit.
• 2:55
  Pastor Robert Young: Paul anticipates the question rising in every reader's heart.
• 3:01
  Pastor Robert Young: Is that fair?
• 3:03
  Pastor Robert Young: He answers gently but firmly.
• 3:07
  Pastor Robert Young: God is the potter, we are the clay.
• 3:13
  Pastor Robert Young: He has the right to show mercy, and he has the right to harden.
• 3:18
  Pastor Robert Young: His choices are not random.
• 3:22
  Pastor Robert Young: They reveal his character, his patience, his justice, and his mercy.
• 3:30
  Pastor Robert Young: Then Paul brings the story to its surprising conclusion.
• 3:36
  Pastor Robert Young: The Gentiles, who weren't even looking for righteousness, found it through faith.
• 3:44
  Pastor Robert Young: Israel, who pursued righteousness through the law, missed it because they stumbled over Christ, the stumbling stone foretold by the prophets.
• 3:58
  Pastor Robert Young: It's a story of sorrow, sovereignty, and surprising grace.
• 4:13
  Pastor Robert Young: Let's take three minutes to reflect on the following question.
• 4:18
  Pastor Robert Young: Where am I tempted to rely on my own effort, my own heritage or performance?
• 4:28
  Pastor Robert Young: And how is God inviting me to rest more deeply in his mercy and calling the thing?
• 4:55
  Pastor Robert Young: Repeat this affirmation now and throughout your day:
• 7:40
  Pastor Robert Young: God's purposes for my life rest not only on my effort, but on his calling.
• 7:48
  Pastor Robert Young: His mercy is my hope.
• 7:51
  Pastor Robert Young: His sovereignty, my security, and his promises, my foundation.
• 7:57
  Pastor Robert Young: A closing prayer.
• 8:12
  Pastor Robert Young: Father, thank you for your mercy that chooses, that calls, and that saves.
• 8:20
  Pastor Robert Young: Lord, thank you for the mystery of your ultimate power and the tenderness of your heart.
• 8:29
  Pastor Robert Young: Give me a spirit of humility and trust when I do not understand your ways.
• 8:37
  Pastor Robert Young: Lord help me to rest in your mercy, to walk in your calling, and to cling to Christ, the cornerstone of my faith.
• 8:49
  Pastor Robert Young: Amen.