Tag: show mercy
Day 2–Snatching them from fire
Scripture reading for May 12: Jude 19-23 “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in you most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.”
As a volunteer firefighter and a follower of Jesus, this verse has always caught my attention and given me a vision for the purpose of our department. We are here in our community to save lives of those who may be caught in a fire. Our first priority when arriving on the scene is to ascertain if there are any persons inside the structure and where they might be in relation to the fire. If we know that someone is inside, we make every effort to locate them and remove them from the smoke and fire that can quickly take their lives.
In doing this, we use the equipment provided to protect us as we go in to rescue the victims. We have fire-retardant suits that are designed to protect us to 600 degrees. We strap on air tanks with masks to supply smoke-free air and protect our lungs. We work in teams to watch out for our safety, often dragging a rope with us to guide us back out or a fire hose to suppress the fire. Our goal is to reach the trapped person and quickly remove them from danger and to make it out ourselves.
We can see the spiritual parallel in yesterday’s devotion and today’s passage. We, as God’s beloved, are to prepare ourselves to walk by faith each day and show God’s love to those we are sent to. Prayer in the Holy Spirit empowers us to intercede for those needing rescue from sin and fires of human passion apart from God. God empowers us by the Holy Spirit to show mercy on all and at times, to snatch the doubters from the fires that would destroy them. We must do this with humility and love, being careful not to get caught in the fire ourselves.
Prayer: Father God, build me up today as I pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep me in Your love and show Your great mercy by enabling me to snatch from the fire those caught by their bad decisions and flesh. Amen.
The Generous King!
Scripture reading for August 10th: Hosea 7-10, Matthew 18
Matthew 18: 21-28 “Then Peter came up and said to Him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.”
Jesus told a parable in response to Peter’s question about the frequency that forgiveness should be offered to a brother who sinned against you. In the parable, a king was settling accounts and a subject came before him who owed him ten thousand talents–a huge sum of money. The king ordered the man’s goods liquidated and he and his family sold into slavery. The man appealed humbly to the king, and the king kindly forgave the debt and released him. What followed was astounding! That forgiven man went and found a man that owed him only a small amount and demanded payment by seizing him and choking him. When the man asked for mercy, he refused and threw him in prison. When the king heard this, he took action and threw him in jail until the debt was paid.
Matthew 18:32-35 “Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also My heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Prayer: Generous heavenly Father, thank You for Your great mercy in forgiving me my sins and wiping out my debts, which were many. Forgive me when I have not been generous with mercy towards others who have offended me or did wrong to me. I want Your mercy, not judgment. Fill me with the grace to forgive and show mercy. I desperately need Your mercy each day.
Hosea 10:12 “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that He may come and rain righteousness upon you.”
Writing in the dust!
Scripture reading for April 15th: John 8
Key scriptures for over-comers: John 8:4-8 “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do You say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger. When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.”
The religious leaders were zealous for the law and tried to obey every letter. But their hearts were hard. They could see the sins of other, but neglected their own glaring faults. After catching this woman in the act of adultery, they tested Jesus. (Where was the man?!) Jesus bent down to write on the ground with His finger. It does not say what He wrote. It may have been their names and the secret sins they were guilty of. His simple answer, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her,” stopped them in their tracks. When He looked up again, they were all gone except the woman! He showed her mercy and warned her to sin no more!
Observations for over-comers: Be slow to judge others and condemn them. Look in the mirror of God’s word and apply it to your own heart first! “O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away from You will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.” (Jeremiah 17:13)