“The one who believes in him will never be put to shame.” (Rom. 9:33)
Expanded Passage: Romans 9:30-33
A young lady who went off to college was the first in her family to pursue higher education. In striving for a better life, she was sometimes ashamed of her background. She grew up in a rural setting. Hers was a simple family, and her father’s quaint ways embarrassed her.
For instance, he always said a prayer of thanks before every meal. Her sophisticated college friends, she knew, would find that strange. He also poured a little of his coffee into a saucer and blew it to cool it before drinking it. It was just one of the strange little customs of people in her community.
So, when she invited her new boyfriend home for the weekend, she asked her father if he would please refrain from his customary prayer and blowing on the coffee. He reluctantly agreed.
As the meal began, instead of offering the usual blessing, her father awkwardly picked up his steaming cup of coffee, put it tentatively to his lips, and said, “Well, here she goes, unblessed and unblowed!”
The Jews felt that anyone who died on a cross was cursed. What a shame to be identified with such a person. But Paul assured his readers that those who put their trust in Christ need never be ashamed. Far from being a curse, his death on the cross is a blessing to all who believe!
Refuse to be ashamed of our Lord; rather, revel in his blessings.
Ron McClung is a retired minister in The Wesleyan Church. He lives in Michigan and has two sons, nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
