Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 125:1-5
Ps 125:1-5
1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore. 3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil. 4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. 5 But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers. Peace be upon Israel.
John 14:26-27
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
God wants his people to live in peace. He is the God of peace and his peace is promised to all those who trust him, a peace beyond our comprehension. We are to keep our eyes focused on him and let our minds dwell on things that are good and wholesome, pure and lovely. We are told to be at peace with everyone, as much as we can. The world longs for this peace but it is not theirs to enjoy.
Our peace is based on love. We are at peace with God because he loves us so much that he made it possible for us to have our sins forgiven and to be counted righteous through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. We can be at peace with ourselves because we have a clear conscience, not because we have not sinned but because God has forgiven us. When we are at peace with God and self, it is much easier to be at peace with others because we love and forgive them.
We can trust God to keep his word. His forgiveness is complete so that what has been forgiven is never remembered again or used against us. As we continue to live for him and seek to do his will, he continues to forgive us. Paul says that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jude says we must never use God’s grace as a license to sin. Paul says that grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. By our commitment to Christ as our Lord, we become bond servants to him and to righteousness. We are dead to sin and we both live in Christ and he lives in us. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Heavenly Father I am so thankful for your love and your grace shown and given to me in Jesus Christ and his death on my behalf. While I view his crucifixion as a terrible tragedy, I understand it is the only way for your justice to be satisfied and my sin to be punished where I can still live with you. Thank you for allowing me to be born to parents that loved you and taught me to love and trust you too. Use me to teach others and to lead them to you. I ask you to be with our nation, our leaders and the media that we can have peace. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
