Theme: THE WILL OF GOD
Text: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” – Romans 10:1-3.
Comment: Zeal is defined as a fervour or tireless devotion for a person, cause or ideal and determination in its furtherance. A man or woman who has zeal in the service of God has interest for the work and diligent in his or her contributions in whatever form to the growth and progress of the work of God. Knowledge gives direction to zeal. A practical illustration is that, no matter how enthusiastic a person is to help in doing a task, if the person has no knowledge of what needs to be done and how to go about it, that person will be a setback, a stumbling block, a ‘clog in the wheel’ and will only be frustrating the efforts of others. For the work of God , it is a more serious matter . Zeal without knowledge leads to errors arising from doing wrong things feeling that what is done is right before God. St Paul acknowledge that he did things that were wrong ignorantly at a time. He said: “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” – 1 Timothy 1:12,13.