Memorize the city

I'll never really understand the depth of feeling that Paul had when he wrote about his own, lost people at the start of Romans 9. What an about turn he has from the end of chapter eight, when he seems to be soaring about the irresistable love of God and it's effects and certainty. And then minutes later he's filled with 'great sorrow and unceasing anger' over the state of the Jews before God.

Sometimes though, i feel a slight trace of that running through my heart. Last night after the pre CU prayer meeting, where we prayed for many different aspects of the meeting, i felt sorrow and anguish inside me. I thought of all the freshers who were coming to UniS, who knew about the Gospel, who knew of it's power and truth, and yet were ready to turn their backs on it. Who would maybe go to church and CU for a couple of weeks for their parents sake, and then abandon it. It's gutting, actually gutting to think of people who know the truth consciously turning away like that.

But there are three things i can do to prevent this, and to turn my hearts from lamenting to rejoicing. We can keep preaching the gospel, trusting that God's Word does God's work, and that it will not return to Him void. That the gospel is what people need to here, no matter how few people that is. We can pray for people. That God would stir in them, talk to them, we can plead with God for them, that they would be worthy of their calling, that they would hunger for Him and that the things of the world would lose their shine. That He would shine the light of the knowledfe of the glory of Christ into their lives. We can trust God, and rejoice in His irresistable grace, knowing that He saves whom He saves, and that no one can get away from His effective calling, and that He will complete the good work He started in everyone.