Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 103:7-14
Ps 103:7-14
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: 8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
Titus 3:4-7
4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
One of the most comforting verses found in scripture (to me) is the description above about how God forgives us; “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” That is about as far as anything can be and that is how God treats our sins. When God forgives, that is the end of the matter for those sins. The kindness and compassion of God is what prompts his mercy and his grace toward us. He wants us to be right with him.
We accept his grace by faith. Grace is his part and has been made complete by the blood of Jesus offered for us on the cross. Faith is our part and must be shown in our response of obedience to his will, revealed in his word. Jesus said that the work that we must do to be saved is believe on him as the Son of God. “Work” is not a dirty word in regard to salvation if it is understood as a response of obedient faith and not the idea of earning something. Believing is a part of our faith as is repentance and also as is baptism. Not any one of these will bring us into Christ by itself but when put together it is referred to by Paul as obeying the gospel.
Heavenly Father it is with thanksgiving that you have revealed the power to being saved in your gospel. It is with joy that I have accepted your terms of salvation by faith when I confessed Jesus as my Savior and was buried with him in baptism and raised a new person. Help me open my heart to your Spirit to freely work in me as he molds me to become more like Jesus every day. Continue to forgive me when I stumble and sin along the way. Use me in your service, in your way and in your time as you see best, to your glory. I humbly pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
