Devotion
Love your neighbour as yourself
David Jacobs
Many of the people who live near my apartment are incredibly wealthy. The parking lots are filled with fancy cars, perhaps not ever remembered by their owners, that are covered in dust. It can foster a bit of ill will to the other people around them, especially those with less money. We are taught to love our neighbors as ourselves, but it is much easier said than done.
This message of loving your neighbor and not holding a grudge is so important because it is so difficult! This is why it is mentioned so many times in the Bible. Holding a grudge is a pestilence to all true believers. There is a famous quote that is a good summation of a grudge: "grudges are like swallowing poison and hoping your enemy dies from it". This negative feeling that we carry towards another person is mostly reflected on our own disposition. The Proverbs mention that here: holding a grudge is a way to devise evil. Mercy and truth are how to devise good.
It may be difficult to reflect and understand the importance of these messages because we hear them so often, but they are said so often because of their importance!
Prayer
Lord God, please hear my prayer. Help me to not begrudge or despise my neighbors for any wrongs they may have committed. As you have forgiven me, let me forgive them. As you say in the Proverbs, good is devised from truth and mercy. Help me to forgive those that have trespassed against me, as you have forgiven me for my trespasses. I pray this in your name, Amen.
Night Prayer
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Inspiration
We despise the thought of a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. The outside is easy to clean; it's the caked-up residue on the inside that's so difficult to remove. Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees with dishes that have been wiped clean on the outside while dirty inside. The Pharisees took exceptional care of their outward appearance and neglected their inward spirits. We are guilty of allowing our hearts to be left filthy as well. We look and act as we should while our souls are full of darkness. We must continue to converse with the Holy Spirit daily and trust His guidance to cleanse our sinful nature.
Prayer
Dear God, Please forgive our sinful nature. We yearn for cleansing from within, so we are genuine witnesses to Your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
