“And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?” – Romans 11:23-24
What a powerful picture of restoration! Just as Gentiles, who were once wild branches, were grafted into the cultivated olive tree of God’s promises, so too will Israel be restored when they turn back to Christ. God’s ability to graft them in again shows His faithfulness and His power to redeem. If He could take us, once far from Him, and make us partakers of His grace, how much more will He restore His chosen people when the time comes.
Paul calls this unfolding plan a “mystery.” He explains in Romans 11:25 that “blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” This blindness is not total, nor is it permanent. It is partial and temporary, lasting only until God’s plan for the Gentiles is complete. Ephesians 3:6 reveals the mystery further: “that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel.” Paul was privileged to receive this revelation, showing that God’s plan has always been bigger than one nation—it includes all who believe in Christ. Yet he warns Gentile believers not to grow proud, for the same God who grafted them in will one day restore Israel.
This truth calls us to humility and hope. Just as God has not abandoned Israel, He will not abandon us. His promises are sure, and His timing is perfect. Think of a gardener patiently tending his tree—removing dead branches, grafting in new ones, and waiting for the right season to bring forth fruit. In the same way, God is patiently working out His plan of salvation. The call to action is simple: remain steadfast in faith, pray for the salvation of both Jew and Gentile, and trust God’s timing. When life feels uncertain, remember that He is still grafting, still restoring, and still bringing His people into fullness.
“God’s promises are not exhausted by one fulfillment. He is with us still, and will be with us to the end. He has said, ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’” – Charles H. Spurgeon
surrendered devotions 