Romans 11:17-18
But some of these branches from Abraham's tree -- some of the people of Israel -- have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God's special olive tree. But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.
Wikipedia states that "grafting" is, "a horticultural technique whereby tissues from one plant are inserted into those of another so that the two sets of vascular tissues may join together."
The above picture is an example of a grafted "Circus Tree" by Axel Erlandson.
There are many reasons why grafting is important such as: Precocity (bypassing the juvenile stage of fruit growth), Dwarfing (producing smaller trees for safety and more growth per area of land), Ease of Propagation (cost-efficient ways of raising certain plants), Hybrids (creation of mixed varieties of plants), Hardiness and Sturdiness (to build strength in certain plants), Repair (repairing unhealthy plants or trees), Maintaining Consistencies (keeping the same type of fruit, i.e. apples) and Curiosities (see above picture and link). Paul states that in these verses that the Gentiles were grafted into the kingdom of God because His chosen people, the Jews, refused to obey, follow, or rejected God as their God. We, the Gentiles, are fortunate enough that we have become grafted in, and looking at the list of the reasoning for "grafting" many of them do apply to us! It's awesome that being grafted in means that we are "fused" together with God, He who is truly unfathomable, so wonderful, so amazing that I can not even describe to it's full capacity what it actually means!
These verses in Romans are not only words that I want to apply in my life. I want to be able to truly grasp the meaning...What does it really look like to be grafted in? I know that I am truly grateful that God gave this option to the Gentiles. Back in the Old Testament days, only the Jews were considered His people. He despised all others but it was the Jewish people He held as His own.
Lord, Thank you for allowing me to be grafted into you. I am but a weak, ugly, juvenile plant of a person that you decided to choose me, to love me, and saw something great in me. Help me to really know and live like a plant, a person truly grafted into you. As you are the vine and I am just merely a branch, I know that with you, you produce the fruits. Please don't let me leave you, for without you, I AM NOTHING.
Being grafted in is a big deal. God, you are a big deal.
<3
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