Prepared for God's Big Plan

Scripture: I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures where Isaiah says that those who have never heard the name of Christ before will see and understand. Romans 15:21

Observation: Paul concludes his letter with a tone of excitement about soon visiting the church in Rome. His plan - to take an offering from the Greek churches to the believers in Jerusalem, then stop in Rome on his way to Spain - won't work ... instead, he will be arrested in Jerusalem and transported to Rome as a prisoner. However, he will get there. In this excited conclusion, Paul summarizes his mission by citing Isaiah, prophesizing about how the good news of Jesus will be delivered to the Gentiles.

This is a powerful prophesy. At a time when Israel was being destroyed and the fate of Judah and thus all Jews was in the balance, Isaiah declared the coming Messiah ... not just that he would save the Jews, but he would spiritually save the world. The passage Paul references is about Messiah "the servant" being lifted up and exalted after his humiliating torture. It says that foreign nations will believe in the truth about the Messiah, even though they were not present to see or hear his original message.

For Paul, this is a "plan" defined by scripture. It is God's plan to deliver the good news of salvation to those whom do not even believe in the Lord, and never heard of Jesus. It is a plan outlined about 600 years previously, and still being enacted now 2,000 years later. And it is God's big plan for human salvation - not Paul's - as he ties it directly to prophetic words delivered by the Holy Spirit through Isaiah.

Application: As modern Christians, it is easy for us to gloss over this "big plan". God's plan was to create something called "the church" in order to communicate to others about the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. This plan was divinely created, and is the biggest 'thing' in all of human/global history. The Church of Jesus Christ is bigger than any nation or any movement ever, based on any unit of measure one chooses.

I continue to seek my purpose, and perhaps it will come through some strange preparation. Paul was so well prepared to be the messenger to the Gentiles, partly because of his life as a Pharisee who therefore knew scriptures inside-out. He had likely pondered the meaning of Isaiah many times, then understood the truth and how to apply it upon his conversion. The Pharisees were actively opposed to Jesus, and Paul was thus actively opposed to early Christians, yet from that came the core of his purpose.

I wonder ... what I am well prepared to do to serve the kingdom of God?

Prayer: Lord, I desire again today to learn how I can serve you better, and how I fit into your plan. I have confidence you have things for me to do, and I understand it may take years for that plan to be revealed to me. It may even be that you have not even yet begun preparing me for the work you have in mind, and that the timing is years and years away. I relish both the service, and the preparation, Lord. Amen.