Passage: Romans 1:2-3a
...the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in
the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son...
Devotion:
Buried within these verses is the Greek preposition
"peri" (translated as: regarding). It is the source definition of our
English words periscope and perimeter, and means -- "that which encircles".
In the context of our passage today, Paul is telling us the whole Bible (specifically
the Old Testament), is all about Jesus. It was written about Him and for Him.
He encircles it and it encircles Him. But it doesn't stop there. The Bible is
also called the Book of Life -- therefore life is all about Jesus as well. Paul
writes about this in Colossians 1:15-16 describing the supremacy of Christ:
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were
created by him and for him."
I got a call this morning from a man whose life is in chaos.
Job, marriage and finances are all in shambles. He and his wife are now living
apart. He said to me, "I'm tired. I've made such a mess of my life. The
only thing I've got left is Jesus." I told him, "Jesus is all you
ever had! He's also all you will ever need." Then I quoted Colossians
1:19-20: "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and
through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or
things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."
If you need a little peace -- call on Jesus.
Questions to Ponder:
Do
you need some peace in your life? Do you need a break from the pressure? These
days it seems that problems are compounding -- income is going down, bills are
mounting, children are more disobedient, and the financial plans we built our
lives upon are going up in smoke. All this goes to show one thing: It was never
"real security" from the beginning. All we've ever had is Jesus.
Don't lose Him in your battles for all the stuff.
