Forgiveness
Luke 17:3 So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister[a] sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”
Forgiveness. The act of deliberately releasing hurt and anger is something God calls for us to do, yet it can be so difficult to put into practice. It is especially hard if we have to forgive the same infraction more than once. Why is that? I think perhaps we feel that the person who asks forgiveness repeatedly is being insincere.
Yet, Jesus said we are to forgive. Repeatedly and genuinely. Why? Because unforgiveness is more damaging to us than to the person to whom it is directed. It is like a malignancy that eats away at us, and in its wake it can leave bitterness. But even worse is the distance it can create between us and God.
You might say, “I tried forgiving, but I don’t feel any differently.” Forgiving has nothing to do with the way we feel. Instead, it is an act of obedience. When we make the decision to live according to God’s will, rather than our own, then even difficult relationships become easier to navigate. It’s all about living kingdom lives now.
May we ask the Holy Spirit to direct our steps and soften our hearts so that “thy will be done” is the way we live our lives.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Majesty
Another day, another sunrise, reminding
us of God’s beauty, unbounded
and untamed,
for who can really capture the colors
of the sky, the subtle spectrum
as dark
gives way to light and the mere suggestion
of another day becomes reality.
Morning Mercies
(ASV) Psalm 113:1 Praise ye Jehovah.
Praise, O ye servants of Jehovah,
Praise the name of Jehovah.
2 Blessed be the name of Jehovah
From this time forth and for evermore.
3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same
Jehovah’s name is to be praised.
(ASV) Lamentations 3:22 It is of Jehovah’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
24 Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
We resume today our theme of continual praise. There is much unrest in the world, deep division caused by political ideologies. Extreme weather has left parts of our country unrecognizable, and hope seems to be fading that these united states will ever be united again.
Yet, with the dawn of each new day comes the promise that God has not given up on us yet. As Christ followers we have the unique opportunity to infuse our day with faith, because we know, believe and understand that God is our present help in times of need.
May we take advantage of each new day, choosing hope over despair and gratitude over grumbling.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Your Steadfast Love
(ESV) Ps 62:11 Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
according to his work.
My Soul Thirsts for You
A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN HE WAS IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDAH.
Ps 63:1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
Oh, how I love the Psalms! David has a connection with, and an understanding of, a Holy God that supersedes any other relationship in the Bible. Whether David is in trouble, or he is in a time of rest, David’s posture before God remains the same—his lips will continually offer praise.
When we have God in our corner, such praise should be automatic. But, so often praise is the last thing we do. For people who have been transformed, we should alter our thinking, which will necessarily change our speech.
May we make a concerted effort to direct our thinking toward thanksgiving, followed by abundant and continual praise.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Our Daily Bread
(ESV) Matt 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
(ESV) Matt 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread,
Lately, I have been impressed by the need to communicate with God daily. The Lord’s Prayer shows us to ask for sustenance daily. When the Israelites wandered in the desert they learned if they tried to store the manna God provided, even overnight, it would ruin. They didn’t really trust God. They thought they could do it better.
It is not that this is the first time I have understood that God wants us to have a consistent relationship with Him. Nor am I one of those people who says, “Thank you, Jesus,” at the end of every sentence. I have spent time with God daily for a good part of my life. I begin early in the morning, and it us not unusual for me to pause during the day just to check in.
So why would God remind me of something I am already practicing? Could it be that on this faith journey it is so easy to lose sight of what is important that God wants to remind us? If we remove our eyes from the One who calmed the wind and the waves, even for a moment, then we can lose our way.
May we place our faith, and our trust, every day on the very bread of life.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 