Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 139:19-24
Ps 139:19-24
19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! 20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? 22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Matt 12:28-33
28 "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 "Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. 30 "He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters. 31 "Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 32 "And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the age to come.
We live in a world that lauds the doctrine of relativism. In fact, it seems that the only thing that is absolute is that everything is relative. However, the teaching of Jesus is filled with absolutes. The basis of this is when he said that he is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through him. He also said that we are either for him or against him. There is no middle ground.
When Jesus was betrayed and arrested, everyone present either was in the mob that took him to the rulers or they were among the disciples that fled. Peter tried to be in both and denied that he even knew the Lord.
God is holy and his name is reverend. There is no place for anyone who claims to follow him to use his name in vain. While we are to love our enemies, we are not to mistake this with a tolerance for misusing the name of God. It should make our blood boil when we hear the name of God thrown around in a frivolous way or used in cursing and swearing. We must respect his name in all we say and do.
My Father in heaven, holy and reverend is your name in all the earth. It is with respect that I come to you in the name of Jesus and present my thanksgiving and my petitions today. Help me use your name only in a way that will bring honor and glory to you. Give me a pure heart so my life will honor you and others will see Jesus living in me. Forgive me when I fail. I pray for your people, wherever each may be, that we can show your love to the world. I pray for those who are your enemies and malign your name that they will change and turn to you.
Robert
