Heart's Desire

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. (Romans 10:1-2)

Substitute the name of a loved one for the word Israel above and you’ll have the prayer of many. There are several on my own prayer list. Some do not fit in that last sentence, though, for they don’t have that “zeal of God.” Some do not believe He exists. Some do not care whether or not He exists. Others think He does, but that He does not care for them.

I can’t change their minds. But I can pray that God will continue to work with their hearts and place Godly examples over and over again in their path.

For the most part these are good people. Their actions are not harmful to their fellow man, in many cases their actions show love for their fellowman. They live upright lives. But they miss the commandment about loving God with all their hearts.

For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. (Romans 10:3)

Ignoring God places them where they also ignore His gift to mankind.

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. (Romans 10:4)

No longer was it necessary for men to see good works to know how God was loved. Instead, there was a way to witness:

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; (Romans 10:8)

Faith. The substance of things hoped for (Hebrews 11:1), through which we are saved (Ephesians 2:8), which comes through the word of God (Romans 10:17). All of that is within us, between us and God. How do we show this faith?

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10)

Oh, there is much, much more than this. John described how much could be told”

And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. (John 21:25)

We don’t need them, though. The Bible contains all that is needed to know God and to know His will for our lives. Isn’t that awesome!