Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 5:4-6
Ps 5:4-6
4 You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. 5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. 6 You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.
1 Peter 4:1-5
1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. 2 As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do-living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
When we become a Christian we give up the old life of sin to live for God in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is not a popular thing in our time to submit to others and allow them to actually rule over us. In fact, this goes against our very nature as well as against all we have been taught and are accustomed to doing. But as a disciple of Jesus, we imitate him, his attitudes, his priorities and his way of life. We seek to be just like him in every way. We follow his will as revealed in his word without hesitation and without argument. He is our LORD.
One motivation we have for this is the righteous wrath of God for sin. Paul says the wages of sin is death. On another occasion he lists several sins and then declares that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. He and other teachers and apostles (as well as Jesus) tell us in no uncertain terms that those who do not serve God will be lost forever.
The other motivation is that God loved everyone in the world so much that he gave his special Son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:10)
Heavenly Father, thank you for your love and for making your way of salvation known to me in Jesus Christ. Help me imitate Jesus in my attitude and in my life each day. Give me wisdom and strength to put you first in all things. Never let me forget that this world is temporary and is passing away but you are eternal so I will lay up treasures in heaven instead of here. Use me to lead others to you and to encourage those who are serving you. I ask a special blessing on those who are faced with heavy burdens. I pray in the name of Jesus my Savior and Lord.
Robert
