We need your mercy
Psalms 116:1-5 1 I love the LORD, because he hath heard
my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me,
therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
3 The sorrows of death compassed me,
and the pains of hell got hold upon me:
I found trouble and sorrow.
4 Then called I upon the name of the LORD;
O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.
5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
yea, our God is merciful.
In our last devotional we talked about grace. Today we move into its twin, mercy. While grace is defined as unmerited favor, mercy is compassion shown to someone whom we have the power to punish. Or, another definition is being spared from something that we deserve.
For years I sought out justice, yet I finally realized that what the world really needs, what I really need, is mercy. And if I need mercy, I need to be ready to give mercy.
But regardless of the grace and mercy we receive, we remain unyielding in our desire to receive but not give. When we seek out God, putting our will aside and humbling ourselves under Him, then we will be able to both receive and give grace and mercy, and that is truly a gift of God.
May we seek out the goodness of God, asking also for the ability to give grace and mercy even if we don’t receive them ourselves.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died
On Calvary.
- Refrain:
Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty
At Calvary.
Give Thanks and Trust
Psalms 118:1 1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good:
because his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalms 118:8 8 It is better to trust in the LORD
than to put confidence in man.
Psalms 118:14 14 The LORD is my strength and song,
and is become my salvation.
Psalms 118:24 24 This is the day which the LORD hath made;
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
I am not sure how many times I have begun a service with Ps 118:24, but it occurred to me I have not begun nearly as many days with the same scripture. Am I not always grateful enough that whatever my circumstance, I should rejoice? Or do I get so caught up in daily living that I mumble a quick “thank you for keeping me through another night” and then get on with my day?
Both I and several of my friends are experiencing some extreme health issues. For those who have not gone through chronic pain, or neverending doctors’ appointments, there is a sort of helplessness that accompanies such maladies. The inability to live independently or to resume a once full schedule can be devastating, not to mention the impact on our prayer lives.
Yet, God has promised He will never leave us nor forsake us.
May we give thanks and trust, and as one of my prayer partners has said, we can either accept the doctor’s facts, or God’s truth.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
God’s Plan
Colossians 3:18-25 18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.
Good Sunday afternoon everyone. We have reached a section of the Scriptures that I have lived by for a good part of my life. But first let’s look at what Paul tells the Colossians about the right behavior of Christian households.
For any man who has used these or other Scriptures as a means to control his wife, wrongly believing he can treat her any way he likes because she has an obligation to submit, he has not only misunderstood the Scriptures, but he has completely taken God’s Word out of context .
In studying Theology we were often warned against proof texting. In other words, it is our responsibility to read the Bible in such a way that informs our beliefs rather than picking verses that prove what we already regard as true. We can be sure of two things: the Bible is the best source to prove the Bible, and if Scripture goes against the character of God, then we have incorrectly interpreted the meaning.
There is a hierarchy in Heaven and on earth, and for there to be any harmony we must act according to God’s plans. Submission does not mean that God regards women as less than men. Instead, we are to give one another a sacrificial love.
Children, be obedient to your parents because God says obedience is better than sacrifice. Fathers, treat your wives and your children with love and with care because that is the will of God
And finally, verses 23 and 24 instructs us to work in whatever we do as unto the Lord. That means whether I am a worker at McDonalds or an executive at an Insurance Company (or a Pastor), it is our privilege and our duty to work for God.
May we follow God’s Holy Word in all we say and do for this is God’s plan.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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I
Being Raised with Christ
Colossians 3:1-17 1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
We have already touched on the idea that the Colossians heard the gospel message, yet they continued exercising the pagan practices that were dominant in the area. In today’s scripture we see that salvation does not consist of repentance and forgiveness alone but must include a transformation.
Paul is quite specific in the changes that should be evident in the lives of a Christ follower. But I have noticed two areas of our lives that seem to be resistant to such change. One is in the area of unforgiveness. Why do we as Christians have so much difficulty in showing forgiveness to others?
The other area that seems to trip us up has to do with our language. Perhaps it is my age, but when I hear a self professed Christian use profanity I am not just uncomfortable, I am shocked that a Christ follower would align himself with the world rather than try to model Christ.
May we set an example for our younger sisters and brothers in the faith by walking, talking, thinking and behaving like Christ, for this is our calling, this is our duty.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Our Reality is in Christ
Colossians 2:16-23 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Today we look at a portion of Paul’s letter that deals with the physical world and superstitions that were observed during that time. Paul declares straightforwardly that the festivals and celebrations that were common had no part in the new life found in Christ.
Today we may mistakenly believe that what we see is reality. But fellow believers, Paul says the world in which we live is a shadow of the world to come.
May we join together with other believers to strengthen our faith by speaking only the truth found in God’s word, acting on His authority, and rejecting those actions that have no lasting value in the Kingdom of God or in this world.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 