Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 25:8-15
Ps 25:8-15
8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. 9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. 10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant. 11 For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great. 12 Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. 13 He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. 14 The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. 15 My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.
Gal 5:22-26
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
God forgives us because he wants us to be right with him, to be free from sin. He wants us to be right with him because he made us and he loves us. When we put our trust in him and live for him, we honor him and his name. So when we love others and we are forgiving, kind and patient, we show his Spirit in our lives and this also honors him. When people see Jesus in us, it praises him and the Father.
Forgiveness is not easy nor is it cheap. When we have been slighted, cheated or done wrong in some way, we can say we forgive but to really do so from the heart takes effort on our part. To forgive from the heart requires that we give a small part of self, but by being like God in this, we are made fuller, richer and happier.
God forgives because love is a part of his very nature. Because of his patience he is willing to give us time to trust him with opportunities to turn from sin and ask him for his forgiveness. When we seek to live by the Spirit, we are being molded into his image, a little at a time. We grow into his likeness as his will becomes our own and our nature like his. It is no longer we who live but Jesus lives in us.
Heavenly Father I am so thankful for your love and your forgiveness. As your child I want to live for you and to be like Jesus in every way but I find myself doing and saying things that I know I should not. I have a lot of good intentions but allow the things around me to keep them from becoming reality. Help me love you more than anything or anyone on this earth so I will have greater self-control. Give me wisdom to use what you have given me to your glory. Continue to forgive me when I fail to be all you want me to be. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
