Day 40 - The Execution
Reading: Romans 9:1-23
Reflective Thoughts
The Execution
You shuffle into the room, cold and sweaty. People scowl at you behind the window-but you can't see them. The window is mirror on your side of the room, and you see only your own ghostly image. "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." The chains clink between your ankles as the clergyman continues to read from the only Scripture you could remember. "He makes me lie down in green pastures..." The guards unlock your cuffs and guide you onto the table. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ..." You turn and see the assembly of three needles which will take your life-you have never felt so helpless and hopeless...never. Just then, the guard's phone rings. It is the governor. He cancels your execution and commutes your sentence. You don't understand why, but you know you have just passed from good as dead to free and alive-and you can't help but tell everyone about it.
Paul agonized for his own people to come to Christ, not unlike you may agonize for your unsaved family and friends. He asks the same questions you may have asked: Why me? Why not them too? How is this fair?
Paul's conclusions don't land on concrete answers as much as they do perspective. We don't understand why the phone rang for us. We only know that it did. Maybe the best thing we can do is tell everyone about the love of our Redeemer-maybe the next call is supposed to come through you.