Bible League: Living His Word God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient.We did not choose God. God chose us. The Bible says that "Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us" (Romans 5:8). We have nothing, therefore, to brag about. We did not become the people of God because of something virtuous or special about us. We were still sinners, yet God loved us and saved us through Jesus Christ. Given this, the life we live in Christ should have certain characteristics. First, we should be merciful. God showed us mercy and saved us while we were still sinners. It would be deeply wrong to receive God's mercy and then treat other people unmercifully. Jesus told the story of the evil servant who received mercy from his king and then refused to give mercy to another servant. When the king heard about this, it did not go well for him (Matthew 18:21-35). We should be kind. God showed us kindness and made us His holy people. He had every right to reject us and condemn us, but He showed us kindness instead. As a result, we should reflect the kindness of our kind God. We should be humble. The Apostle Paul said that God "chose what the world thinks is not important--what the world hates and thinks is nothing. He chose these to destroy what the world thinks is important. God did this so that no one can stand before him and boast about anything" (I Corinthians 1:28-29). For the Christian, pride is simply out of the question. We should be gentle. God was gentle with us. He could have been harsh with us. He could have punished us, but He didn't. We should, therefore, be gentle in our dealings with other people. Finally, we should be patient. Psalm 103:8 says that "The Lord is kind and merciful. He is patient and full of love." Just as God was and is patient with us, so should we be patient with those around us. In a world full of unmerciful, unkind, proud, harsh, and impatient people, let us always reflect the loving nature of our gracious God. Bible in a Year Old Testament Reading1 Samuel 22, 23, 24 1 Samuel 22 -- Saul Slays the Priests of Nob NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 1 Samuel 23 -- David Saves Keilah, Flees from Saul NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 1 Samuel 24 -- David Spares Saul's Life NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Luke 16:1-18 Luke 16 -- The Parables of the Shrewd Manager, and the Rich Man and Lazarus NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson;if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser. Insight There is a great difference between the person who learns from criticism and the person who refuses to accept correction. How we respond to criticism determines whether or not we grow in wisdom. Challenge The next time someone criticizes you, listen carefully to all that is said. You might learn something. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon John 12:21 We would see Jesus.Evermore the worldling's cry is, "Who will show us any good?" He seeks satisfaction in earthly comforts, enjoyments, and riches. But the quickened sinner knows of only one good. "O that I knew where I might find Him !" When he is truly awakened to feel his guilt, if you could pour the gold of India at his feet, he would say, "Take it away: I want to find Him." It is a blessed thing for a man, when he has brought his desires into a focus, so that they all centre in one object. When he has fifty different desires, his heart resembles a mere of stagnant water, spread out into a marsh, breeding miasma and pestilence; but when all his desires are brought into one channel, his heart becomes like a river of pure water, running swiftly to fertilize the fields. Happy is he who hath one desire, if that one desire be set on Christ, though it may not yet have been realized. If Jesus be a soul's desire, it is a blessed sign of divine work within. Such a man will never be content with mere ordinances. He will say, "I want Christ; I must have him--mere ordinances are of no use to me; I want himself; do not offer me these; you offer me the empty pitcher, while I am dying of thirst; give me water, or I die. Jesus is my soul's desire. I would see Jesus!" Is this thy condition, my reader, at this moment? Hast thou but one desire, and is that after Christ? Then thou art not far from the kingdom of heaven. Hast thou but one wish in thy heart, and that one wish that thou mayst be washed from all thy sins in Jesus' blood? Canst thou really say, "I would give all I have to be a Christian; I would give up everything I have and hope for, if I might but feel that I have an interest in Christ?" Then, despite all thy fears, be of good cheer, the Lord loveth thee, and thou shalt come out into daylight soon, and rejoice in the liberty wherewith Christ makes men free. Daily Light on the Daily Path Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.Hosea 11:4 I led them with cords of a man, with bonds of love, And I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws; And I bent down and fed them. John 12:32 "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." John 1:36 and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" John 3:14,15 "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; • so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. Psalm 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. 1 John 4:19 We love, because He first loved us. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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