Jealous for God

August 29, 2017

Daily Reading
Psalm 8
Exodus 2:11-15a
Romans 11:33-36
Psalm 18:1-3, 20-32
Deuteronomy 32:18-20, 28-39
This week’s sermon text:  Romans 11:33-36

Field Notes
How can God be a jealous God? Isn’t jealousy sinful? When we feel human jealousy, it is usually because someone has something we want, something we wish we had. We become the center of the issue.

The Hebrew root word for the word jealousy means, “to become red in the face,” such as when a person’s face flushes when in love. So when God says, “I am a jealous God,” He is saying, “I am red in the face in love with you, and I want the best for you.” When God is jealous for us, He wants what is best for us. Sometimes in the Scripture, God is angry enough to wipe out the Hebrews; yet over the course of the entire Scripture, God redeems and saves His people despite their bad behavior. This is grace.

God is so red-in-the-face in love with us that He died for us in order to save us.

I know God longs for us to be so “red-in-the-face-flushing-in-love” for Him. Amazingly we can. It all begins with a simple decision: “God I want what is best for you! I give you my all.” The more we act upon this thought, the more we begin to feel it.

Questions for the Field

• When was a time you flushed when you became jealous for someone?
• What might it take to become jealous for God?

Family Field Talk

• When was a time you flushed when you became jealous of someone?
• What might it take to become jealous for God?

Prayer Guide
Most loving gracious, Lord, I do love you. I may not show it and feel it, but deep down inside of my childhood faith, I do love you. Lord, help me to shift my focus from what I want to what you want in my life, our lives, today. In your gracious name I pray. Amen.