Sep 02 2024

Today's Bible Verse

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

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In this verse in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is delivering the Sermon on the Mount. This is a beatitude, one of the famous sayings from the beginning of the sermon.

Think about a time in your life when you experienced mercy. What did it feel like? For me, it was a great relief and made me feel as if I could breathe again. We are all beneficiaries of God's great mercy. Even though we were sinners who had rejected Him, Jesus died a horrible death on the cross so we could be wiped clean of sin. He paid the debt that we ourselves could never pay in an act of mercy.

Jesus' words remind us that we should be merciful to other people. We have already obtained mercy because of what He has done for us, and we are commissioned to share that mercy with others. We should take this seriously, seeking to display to other people the mercy that we ourselves have already received.

It can be difficult to show mercy to people, especially those who have deeply wounded us. Remember that mercy is not about brushing aside wrongs. Rather, it's about acknowledging a wrong and then allowing for restoration. Showing mercy does not make you weak. It shows that you believe God is the ultimate arbiter of all justice.

When we show mercy to other people, we allow ourselves to get a new perspective on what Jesus has done for each of us. We get to see how desperate we were for God to intervene in our lives. Being the one to show mercy in someone's life, especially when no one else does, is an opportunity to show the love of the Lord to that person. Embodying His love is far more powerful and effective than withholding ourselves. Think about who the Lord might want you to show mercy to today, and be willing to act as He is calling you to.

Today's Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank you so much for the mercy you have shown me. I didn't deserve it, and yet you rained it down on me. Help me to show the same mercy to others that you have shown me. I want more people to know your love, and I want to play the role that you have given me in making that happen. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Sep 01 2024

Yesterday's Bible Verse

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
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Yesterday's Bible study

In this verse from Romans, we are reminded that we are free from sin once and for all. Before we knew Jesus, we were like slaves to sin, bound up in our inability to please the Lord. Now we are free from sin and live no longer under the law, but under grace.

Before Jesus came, the Hebrews lived under very strict law. That law, which makes up much of Leviticus, included rigorous deity instructions, rituals for cleansing, and many other regulations. The highly detailed instructions about sacrifices had to be followed perfectly; if they were not, sacrifices would be rejected and people could be struck dead. The law was necessary because the people needed to be perfect before approaching a holy God. The holiness of the Lord could not mix with sin or any imperfections; the law was intended to show the Hebrews how they could approach Him.

However, the law only revealed their need for a savior. They could not keep all the laws and please the Lord, and thus landed in exile and without the blessing of a holy God. What was intended to help them stay near to the Lord ended up only condemning them further.

The Lord knew this would happen. He anticipated that grace would be the only hope for His people. However, as a holy God, He could not simply give grace without meting out justice. So He sent His son, Jesus, who finally followed the law perfectly, living a sinless life, and then gave His own life, the final and perfect sacrifice that offers justification to each of us today.

Because of Jesus, we no longer live under the law but under grace, as the verse in Romans reads. We no longer have to sacrifice animals before coming to the Lord because Jesus has covered our iniquity. We are able to get to know the Lord through His Word and His work in our hearts, and we can rest in His grace for all of our days.

Yesterday's Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you so much for grace. You are so good to me and have given me more than I could ever deserve. Thank you for Jesus, who made my relationship with you possible in the first place. I adore you, God. In Jesus' name, amen.
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