Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 133:1-3
Ps 133:1-3
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
Eph 4:1-4
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
God loves for his people to be at peace and to live in unity with each other. In Acts 2, we are told that the Lord was adding to his church daily those who were being saved. Paul says this is living a life worthy of the calling we have received. He then explains that this begins with our humility, being gentle and patient, by putting up with each other when it is hard to do. Notice that our job is to make every effort to keep the unity that God has given us. When people are saved by the blood of Jesus, they are united in Christ and with each other. It is our job to maintain it.
We do not create unity. We do not negotiate unity. We do not write the rules for unity. It is not based on any person’s understanding; it is given to us by God. Our job is to make every effort to keep it going. We were saved by grace, not because we deserved it or because we had everything all figured out. So, as the saved, we offer grace to others as we all work to understand the word alike.
James says that the wisdom from above is first of all pure and then it is peace-loving. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. Jesus said: blessed are the pure in heart and then blessed are the peacemakers. One of the biggest obstacles to God’s people being at peace is when we decide, based on our personal understanding, the rules for peace. In other words, we can be at peace as long as you agree with me on what I consider important. This sounds a lot like the attitude of the Pharisees whom Jesus often rebuked. Our peace is in Christ, it is in God as his Son. This is why it requires humility and patience.
O Lord God, open my eyes to see your wisdom. Help me be at peace with others, especially those with whom I disagree. Teach me to disagree without being disagreeable. I know that your Word is infallible, but I need to be reminded that my understanding is not always right. Help me grow, learn more and to be more in line with your truth in all things. Be with those who are hurting and those who are struggling with things that seem to be insurmountable. In Jesus’ name.
Robert
