Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 103:7-14
Ps 103:7-14
He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
Matt 5:43-46
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
It thrills my heart to think about the love of God. It delights my mind to consider his compassion and his mercy towards me. So to know that he has forgiven me by his grace, I am delighted and filled with joy and peace. The fact that I do not deserve anything good from God makes receiving it even greater. Even while we were still his enemies, Christ died for the ungodly – and that is you and me!
One of the greatest ways that we can honor God for his forgiveness is for us to be filled with his love, with his mercy and compassion, and then to be forgiving toward those who sin against us. Forgiving is not easy for most of us because we do not feel that they deserve it. The wrong they did to us still hurts. They even hurt my children or my spouse, so how can I forgive them? It is not easy.
The key to forgiving others is to be filled with the love of God. When we open our hearts to the working of the Spirit, his fruit will grow in us. A part of this fruit is the love of God. The second key is for us to accept the reality that we did not deserve to be forgiven by God. After all, I hurt him with my sin. I caused his Son to be tortured, beaten, and then to die on the cross for my sin. But as Jesus died, he asked the Father to forgive those who were responsible, and that is love.
Heavenly Father it is so wonderful to be the recipient of your love, your mercy, your compassion, and your grace. Thank you for not holding my sin against me, even when I have done it again and again. Help me keep my heart open to your Spirit so I can overflow with your love and your compassion instead of thinking I am somehow better than others whom you have also forgiven. Be with those who are being persecuted for their faith. Bless those who are sick, taking treatments and those who are hurting, grieving and distressed. In Jesus name.
Robert
