Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 36:5-12
Ps 36:5-12
Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. See how the evildoers lie fallen--thrown down, not able to rise!
Rom 3:21-24
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Jesus said it is easy to love only those who love us. We all tend to follow this rule, even though we know it is not enough. When we seek to be like Jesus, we will love our enemies, even those who hate us. When someone treats us unfairly or badly, or with malicious intent, we return their behavior with love and we pray for them. This is the love of God, his mercy, and his willingness to offer forgiveness.
Our personal feelings, our ego, our pride, all get in the way of our forgiving those who have done us wrong. The devil wants us to believe that we are justified to not forgive when the offender refuses to admit their wrong or fails to ask us for forgiveness. Our responsibility is to realize and admit that the only way we are right with God, is because of his love, his mercy, his grace, and his forgiveness.
In the wisdom of God, the result of forgiveness is greater and brings more joy to the one doing the forgiving than to the one who receives it. Forgiveness is a gift and Jesus said: “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” When we turn loose of the offence, we are set free from the bondage of hurt that stifles our joy.
O Lord God, what a joy to be able to know I am forgiven in Jesus Christ! What a joy to be able to forgive others, to turn loose of the hurt and malice and to be free to rebuild friendships and relationships. Give me strength to turn loose of my ego, my pride, and my self-pity so I can truly forgive anyone for anything. Fill me with your love so that it runs all over everyone around me. Help me be cheerful and encouraging all day. Give your peace to those who are hurting and your joy to those who are filled with sadness and grief. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
