Sep 03 2024

Today's Bible Verse

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

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In this verse, Peter is encouraging the Christians in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) to continue in love for one another. He knows that love (referred to as charity in the KJV) will be the most important part of the church. Love is the glue that holds everything together—without it, the church will fall apart.

I find it interesting that Peter made sure to articulate this in the letter. It can be easy to see love as a given; of course we love one another! But Peter wants to emphasize its importance. "Above all things", the church should strive to love one another. This means all disputes, questions, and concerns should be made in love. Reproofs and corrections should be made, but always in the spirit of love. If there is love, the church will not have division because love will cover their offenses against each other.

If you looked at your life, would you say that love is the defining aspect of your interactions with other people? A life characterized by love means you are quick to encourage and help others. You don't fault-find, and you are careful to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit when you feel moved to offer correction.

While we are cleansed from sin because of Jesus, we are not perfect creatures. There will be times in our lives when we will sin and hurt other people. Even in these situations, love can intervene. Love, Peter writes, "shall cover the multitude of sins." Love gives us the ability to respond to the person behind the sin instead of the sin itself. It helps us view the other people around us with grace because it acknowledges that we are all unmerited recipients of God's love for each of us.

When we recognize the love that the Lord has shown us, we will be able to show that love to each other in greater and greater abundance. We will know that nothing we experience in our lives will take away the truth that we are loved by God. We are forever secure in His name and His love—and we can help others experience this as well.

Today's Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank you for the great love that you have shown me. You are merciful and good to me. Help me to show love to the people around me, responding in kindness and mercy even when they wound me. Help me to be quick to forgive because you were quick to forgive. I love you, Jesus. In your name, amen.

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Sep 02 2024

Yesterday's Bible Verse

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.:

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Yesterday's Bible study

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.

Yesterday'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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