Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 72:8-14
Ps 72:8-14
8 He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. 9 The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust. 10 The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts. 11 All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him. 12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. 13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. 14 He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.
James 1:25-27
25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does. 26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
When Jesus described the judgment scene, he compared people to sheep and to goats. The sheep were put on the right and the goats on the left. The determining factor was how these people had treated others, especially those in need and the downtrodden. Jesus also said the greatest command of God was to love him with all our heart, soul and mind and the second was love our neighbors as ourselves.
Acceptable religion is not just about going to church or following a set of rules. It is about a changed heart which changes our lives. It involves how we feel about and how we treat others. We are to have a heart of love which shows in our grace and compassion instead of being critical and judgmental. It prompts us to help them whenever we can. We become servants of Christ with others ahead of self.
It also means moral purity with God determining the definition of morality. Both of these separate us from the world around us. Both our purity and our love are the result of a heart changed to seeking to be like Jesus and the Father. God and his word are our standard and heaven is our goal.
O Lord God, it is so wonderful to know you as my Father and to live with a firm conviction that you have forgiven me of my sins and that you will be with me in every facet of my life. Help me have a servant mentality in your work and toward others. Lord it is easy to be distressed about things happening in our nation but I know you are in control. Give us leaders who will respect you as God and your word as the standard of conduct so we can live in peace. In Jesus name.
Robert
