Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 25:6-10
Ps 25:6-10
Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord! Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
The mercy of God is one of the things that keeps us from all being dead and the world being destroyed a long time ago. We deserve what happened in the days of Noah but because of God’s mercy, things continue until the appointed time. It was because of their sin that Ananias and Sapphira were both struck dead. Do we deserve anything less when we sin? But because of mercy we live.
To be like God, to have the heart of Jesus, we are to extend mercy to others. It was because of mercy that Jesus asked the Father to forgive those who were killing him on the cross. It was because of mercy that he warned Peter that he would deny him, and I believe it was mercy in the eyes of Jesus as he looked at Peter when the rooster crowed. Mercy prompts compassion not retribution.
We are told from an early age that we are to get even when we are done wrong. Jesus said we are to go the extra mile, turn the other cheek, and respond in kindness when we are reviled and pray for the one who is our enemy. To do this means that we have mercy and we feel compassion. That person who was unkind to us was wrong, but if we were carrying their load, we may be the same way or even worse. Mercy and compassion give others the benefit of the doubt. Be kind.
My Father who is in heaven, holy and reverend is your name in all the earth! You are the only true God, the creator of all that exists and the giver of all good things in my world. I thank you and I praise you for your goodness shown to me in Jesus. Thank you for your love, your mercy, your compassion and your grace. Help me be like Jesus and show him to others in the way I imitate him. Forgive me when I fail to live up to your glory. Use me to help others find Jesus and to be faithful in living for him. I ask for peace among your people. I pray in Jesus’ name.
Robert
