He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief,
but was strengthened in faith,
giving glory to God,
and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
Romans 4:20-21
The word of God is so supportive, ever reminding us that we are His and we are loved without measure. And yet, when those days arrive in which you find yourself not being gracious or merciful... well, what do you do with your "yuck" that burdens your spirit?
The Lords Prayer tells us to forgive trespasses against us in order to be forgiven for the trespasses that we have carelessly thought, said, or acted upon. Having a repentant heart is a great "re-start" button. But, why would any situation get so quickly out of sinc with the word of God? For me it is all about how much time I spend in the word every day, how much time am I in communication with our Lord, and God knows... how much time am I allowing entertaining "noise" fill up my relaxation time.
In today's devotional there was a quote by Samuel Clarke (Precious Bible Promises) in which he states that biblical promises are:
"...the constant food of a living Christian,
as well as His highest cordials (medicines)
in a fainting hour."
I'm just saying, when I face my less than gracious behavior I experience such emptiness and horror at how quickly I step out of bounds. I can only imagine the depth of what others might feel because of my slippery slide. Samuel Clarke goes on to say:
"In such a world as this, where duties perpetually demand our practice,
and difficulties and trials are ever surrounding us,
what can we do better than to treasure up the promises in our hearts?"
Now, let me prove His goodness. Given my last week, given all the stuff that was "bending" my waking hours... here is a "God shot" from my second devotional:
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!Psalm 19:7-14
"When it comes to spiritual food for our souls, God has given us a variety menu that we can chew on and savor....
the historical books, poetry, wisdom literature, prophecy, and other parts of the Bible strengthen us when we are weak,
give us wisdom and encouragement, and nourish us for the day's journey (PS 19:7-14; 119:97-104; Heb 5-12).
So what are we waiting for?
The bread of life never gets stale.
So for this day Lord, I have joy down deep in my soul. Your mercy and love endures in-spite of my shortcomings. Your Holy Spirit will continue to lift me up off my knees. Your word will give new direction. Thank you for seeing me through....
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