Scripture Romans 9:27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:“Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.”Observation - What does it say?The unthinkable is pondered. Have the people of Israel with their distinction as the chosen people of God, been rejected by the wrath of God? And, has Israel’s plight resulted in making a way for the Gentile masses? Paul grieves for “those of his own race.’ History proves God faithful for the criterion for righteousness (a right standing before God) has been, is, and always will be for everyone who believes. Christ is the fulfillment of the Law. Christ brought the Law to completion by obeying perfectly its demands and by fulfilling its types and prophecies” (NIV Text Note). It is here we are reacquainted with the principle of the Remnant. Let me introduce you to a dear sister in the Lord by the name Joanie Martin.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. Matthew 5:17Understanding - What does it mean?Remnant – The word conjures up images of scraps, leftovers, remains, those left behind, refugees or a subgroup of some kind. I was a new Christian in my mid-thirties. The Bible was Aramaic to me but God showed great patience with me as I was introduced to biblical principles. Around this time I was serving in a deacon type role and was assigned to the shut-in ministry. That is how God brought Joanie into my life; a wisp of a frame, frail in statue but sharp as a whip. She had come through Ellis Island from England, was sponsored by a family in California and employed as a mother’s helper (Don’t you dare call her a Nanny). Joanie never married, never drove a car and never returned to England. She may have been housebound in her later years but she still lived out a dynamic faith touching hundreds with the love of Christ. Countless times I would watch as she reached into a bag of mismatched pieces of yarn and crocheted what I affectionately called a “Joanie.” Each afghan was a unique tapestry of color and design that was saturated in prayer and the promises of God. From there they were off to a home for runaway girls; girls who would arrive with little more that the clothes on their backs; a welcome gift from an anonymous servant. As it was in Elijah’s time, God had preserved a faithful remnant amongst the Jewish people. This “bag of thread” continues today and at any time could be assembled for God’s glory.
Life ApplicationThe lesson of the Remnant asks of me, “Who or what is the focus of my worship? Has my knee bowed to someone or something other than Christ? I am in this world by no choice of my own but, “am I of it?” Have I adopted the ever changing standards of my surroundings or have I kept my eye on the prize? Am I a piece of the fabric of this world or am I a piece of yarn awaiting the Master’s hands? Father in heaven, I thank you for your Word that continually fits me for your plans and purposes for my life. -Warren To check out the discussion or to join in click
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