Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 78:32-39
Ps 78:32-39
32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe. 33 So he ended their days in futility and their years in terror. 34 Whenever God slew them, they would seek him; they eagerly turned to him again. 35 They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. 36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues; 37 their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant. 38 Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath. 39 He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return.
1 Peter 2:9-10
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
O the tender mercy of God! How great is his mercy toward all mankind! It is his mercy that brings his grace to us. He made us and he knows our weakness, our frailties and our limitations. Yet, he knows our strengths and our abilities. We are what we are by his grace and only because of his goodness. We are righteous in his sight only because he has chosen to forgive us and count us right.
In spite of where we have been in our lives and what we have done (or failed to do) we can come to God in Jesus Christ and have all our sins pardoned. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
It is because of this that we cannot afford to give up now! Sure, life will be hard and the devil will do all he can to lead us away from God, to cause us to doubt his goodness and even his continued forgiveness but we can trust him and we can live for him. We may stumble but he will pick us up and cleanse us again. We may fail but he will forgive us and make us stronger as we seek to be like him.
Lord God, I know it is just a part of my human nature to look too much at myself and focus on my problems instead of keeping my eyes on you, Jesus and heaven. Lift up my eyes to see your goodness, your mercy, your grace and forgiveness that is available to me as your child. Give me strength to practice self- control to be all you would have me to be. Increase my faith so I can be molded into your image as I follow your will. Help me better realize all the blessings you have given me and help me be more grateful to you. I pray in the name of Jesus my Lord.
Robert
