Romans 9:6 "But it is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel".

The word of God will never fail. It cannot fail, because it is the Word, the Truth, it creates reality by being spoken by God. So while Paul is lamenting that so many Jews, God's chosen people, are not accepting Christ as the Messiah (Romans 9:1-5), he acknowledges that not all descendants of Israel belong to Israel, that is, not all will inherit the promise. He goes on to say "[I]t is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are reckoned as descendants." (Romans 9:8). Paul thus reconciles the fact that not all Jews are accepting Jesus by distinguishing, through Scripture, the children of the flesh from the children of the promise, concluding that God knows and chooses the ones to whom the promise is made and kept, and it is not for us to question God. (Romans 9:10-20).

There are times when we read God's word, or remember His promises, but we see what looks like a contradiction of them playing out in reality. That is what Paul encountered with the non-believing Jews. It can be so difficult to understand when that which is contrary to God's word seems to be happening. Paul handles this inconsistency by thinking things through, by falling back to Scripture and teasing out this distinction between children of the flesh and children of the promise.

Paul was very intelligent man, with a Divine mission and a thorough understanding of Scripture, and we are lucky that he did this for us. But even if we do not have Paul's talents, we can still trust that God's word will never fail. We may not be able to reconcile what we see happening with how His word is being fulfilled, but we know by faith that it will be. We can, if we like, go back through Scripture, Church teaching, and holy writings and really try to figure it out, like Paul did. That is something I like to try to do, and I find that God helps me with this, He leads me to the right words and readings when I am confused. Some, I believe, are even called to this, thus the wealth of writings we are blessed to have from saints and other holy men and women.

But we do not have to do this to believe. I think it is almost more valuable to have a simple faith that just takes seeming incongruities in stride, trusting that God's word will never fail, so in some way all will work out for good. That kind of person is never disturbed, their childlike trust in the Father is all they need to see them through confusing or upsetting times. This is, I think, where God ultimately wants all of us to be. He wants us to be children of the promise who trust the promise so much, or more accurately the promise- maker, that we do not let seeming contradictions bother us. We know that the promise is certain, so anything contrary to it will be the thing that fails, but never God's word.