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.
2 Cor 7:1
1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
There are a lot of reasons why one would try to do the will of God. It may be from the fear of hell or it may be to please a spouse or parent. Some have done this to win the hand of another in marriage. But the more noble reason anyone would serve God is out of reverence and love for him. In Christ we become a new person and our lives are dedicated to him because he gave himself for us.
The upright in heart is ever striving to perfect holiness in their life. To serve God is an ongoing process, a maturation and growing process. As the Spirit of God lives in us and produces his fruit, we become more and more like Jesus our Lord and like God our Father. In love we are to be imitators of God in all things. This means that we will still sin and we will be disappointed in our behavior from time to time but it also means that we sin less as we grow closer to him and his holiness.
The forgiveness of God that we have in Jesus Christ is also an ongoing process so that we never need feel dejected or rejected. We can rejoice in the Lord always because we are always in fellowship with him as he continues to forgive us. Our heart is set on serving him and being like him so he does not condemn us. The law that declares that the wages of sin is death no longer applies to us because we have been set free in Jesus Christ. Because our heart is truly set on serving him, we seek to purify ourselves from all sin, perfecting holiness in Christ.
Heavenly Father your love and grace are beyond my comprehension. The wisdom of your plan of redemption is so wonderful, so profound, and yet so simple. Use me in your service where you want me to be used and in the way you want. Give me wisdom to know and do your will. Forgive me when I come short of your glory and fail to be what you want me to be. Be with your people, wherever they are in this world, that we can share your gospel with the lost. Be with our nation and give our leaders wisdom to respect you as God. I pray in Jesus name.
Robert
