Unlimited: My Heart’s Desire
Apr 6, 2023 549
Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved (Romans 10:1).
It has been said that if we want to identify what we truly love, we should take note of the things that upset us most in life. Our heart’s desire will always determine what we focus on in our lives.
Of course, we want everyone to be saved, but it is only natural that our most earnest prayers will be for our own family. This was the case for Paul. His heart’s desire and prayer were for the salvation of his fellow Jews. They were his people, his family.
Paul has been making it clear that not all who are of physical Israel will be saved, because the promises are for spiritual Israel. Yet the salvation of his people is still his heart’s desire, and his prayer. This is Paul’s key theme in chapters 9–11.
Our heart’s desire will always determine what we focus on in our lives.
What Paul says here is of fundamental importance for rightly understanding the following chapters, in which Paul will be discussing election and predestination. Paul will be discussing the salvation of people groups: ethnic Israel and the Gentiles, and not individuals. More than anything, Paul is addressing the issue of, having handed the Messiah over to the Romans to be crucified, what hope was there now for people who were of the Jewish race?
Paul certainly hopes and prays for the salvation of his own people.
Spiritual Application
Examine your heart carefully. What is your heart’s deepest desire? For what do you pray most fervently? Is it for your finances or for health or for relationships? Or like Paul, is it for the most important thing: the salvation of others?
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