and you are included

Today in the One Year Bible, we begin the book of Romans, with chapter one verses 1 through 17. And one phrase jumped out at me as I read this today. "And you are included...."

He's talking to the people living in Rome, of course. But He's also, through the work of the Holy Spirit, talking directly to YOU. And that's pretty amazing. That God knocked Paul off his horse and made him a "slave" (as he says in verse one) so that he would bring good news to YOU living in 2018, sitting there reading this blog.

He says, a few verses down, that he is bringing the gospel into our lives - the fact of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. And the reason he brings this gospel into YOUR life (right now, in this moment) is because it brings power to you, and imparts to you a spiritual gift.

So in this moment, you can receive what Paul is bringing to you. You might say a prayer, and ask God to bring the power of the gospel into your life, and impart to you the gift of the spirit that Paul brings us when we read his letter.

That's the amazing thing about written communication. Someone who lived 2000 years ago made some marks on a page (or had his "scribe" do it (also known as an emanuensis)) and you look at those marks today and gain the wisdom and gifts that he infused into those words.

God, thank You for including us in the gifts that Paul shared with the Romans. Please fill our lives with that power and those gifts.