Devotion
Rest In Righteousness
David Jacobs
Men are sinners by nature and action: all of us have sinned and all of us will sin. God is holy, he does not sin, cannot look upon it, and it is this that separates us from Him. This is the fundamental difference between humans and God.
God showed us mercy, however, by sending his only son, Jesus Christ, to live and die in sin for us. As the verse says, Jesus, "who knew no sin," was brought to the world so "that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." It is a lot of pressure, no doubt, that we must bear for the remainder of our lives. Compared to the pressure that Jesus felt, it is nothing. Jesus was holy, completely devoid of sin, made to be a sinner by his father so that we might be saved.
God would have been entirely within his right to leave us to our sinful ways, but it is out of His mercy and love that He entered a covenant with Christians. He has provided us a way to salvation if we keep the covenant of His works. This is what the entire Bible discusses, the covenant and the prophecy that begins in Genesis and ends in Revelations. Jesus has shown us the way, has humbled himself so that we may be made whole with God. Perhaps my favorite example, is from Matthew 3:13-15.
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
John the Baptist knows that he is not worthy of being baptized by Christ. Jesus humbles him, showing us all how to treat one another as God would want.
Prayer
We truly are not worth of God's mercy and love. We are sinners, responsible even for the death of God's only son. Through God, however, we have our chance at redemption. We have a chance to rest in His righteousness, to be made whole with Him once again. The choice is ours. Thanks be to God.
Night Prayer
Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.
Inspiration
We humble ourselves before the Lord when we come to Him with earthly burdens. We understand we do not have the power to control or fix our problems alone, so we lay our egos down and align our lives with the will of God. We are proud to be His servants and accept His help throughout our struggles. His love is unconditional, and His wisdom parallels none other.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we humble ourselves before You, seeking Your wisdom and guidance all the days of our lives. Thank You for Your presence and unfailing love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
You are a Temple of The Holy Spirit
Frances Taylor
This is a hard saying in today's world. Sexual immorality is so rampant and public that few people believe it to be immoral! People no longer think of sexual behavior outside of marriage as wrong and, in fact, have no problem with going from one person to another quite publicly, broadcasting their behavior on social media and if you're famous enough, on twitter, on TV, in magazines, etc. What happened to "Thou shalt not commit adultery?" I guess I'm old fashioned. I'm not about to condemn anyone who truly loves another and is faithful to them regardless of marriage, but I don't understand and cannot condone random sexual encounters that are not based on love but lust, have no desire for permanency but are literally just to satisfy a sexual itch.
Sorry if I offend anyone, but if we believe that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit to be kept holy, how can we treat them as what – toys, prizes? I'm aware that women have often ...
Morning Prayer
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Inspiration
Think of a grudge that you held on for a long time. Did you feel better from holding this grudge? Now think about this deeper: what if God held a grudge against us? Wow, how blessed we are that he forgives our sins! He leads by example, forgiving those of us that do exactly what he asks us not to do. We all should all be more forgiving, like God is to us.
Prayer
You sent your only son to the world to die so that we may be forgiven, merciful God. Forgive me, once again, for being too selfish and proud to not forgive those that trespass against me. I wish that I can sin less and ask for forgiveness and guidance when I need it. I thank you for sending your son to us, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
