Romans 2 (The Message) Don’t you see: It’s not the cut of a knife that makes a Jew. You become a Jew by who you are. It’s the mark of God on your heart, not of a knife on your skin, that makes a Jew. And recognition comes from God, not legalistic critics.

The beauty of our Savior is multiplied the moment we accept the truth that our pious motives and living mean absolutely nothing when it comes to eternity. God is as part of our breath as water is part of the sea.

Genesis 1:7 (NLT) says “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.”  We were dust, from His creation albeit, and  then He breathed life into us from Himself. 

God is part of us. No matter our story, no matter the injustices we face or the shame we carry:

Romans 2:9 “If you go against the grain, you get splinters, regardless of which neighborhood you’re from, what your parents taught you, what schools you attended. But if you embrace the way God does things, there are wonderful payoffs, again without regard to where you are from or how you were brought up.”

I pray we all find rest, peace, and joy in our unshakable God, the One whose air we breathe. And may all the injustices of this world only draw us closer to Him. Peace be with you.

Amen.

… and Hip Hip Hooray for Christmas Vacation!