One minute read.
Daily Reading: Ezra 1:1-2:70, 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5, Psalm 27:7-14, Proverbs 20:22-23
Daily Verse: “Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.” Prov. 20:22
Just deliverance.
Leaving retribution to the Lord takes effort. When someone causes pain, my initial reaction wants to strike back and hurt them. But God doesn’t want us to take revenge; He wants us to leave it up to Him.
In all truth, we each deserve punishment for our actions. Although we received justification, made right through Jesus, the process of sanctification doesn’t end until God calls us home. Our goal, following Jesus, remains to same, become more like Him, sanctification. None of us will reach perfection until we enter the pearly gates; until then, we will battle our sinful nature, submitting it to God and allowing Him to mold us into more Christ-like behavior.
We become more like Jesus when we choose not to take revenge for hurtful actions. Showing undeserved grace to others mimics Christ, who did the same for us. Only by submitting our lives to God and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us will we become more like Jesus, offering grace instead of punishment.
Trust God to deliver people, whatever that may look like. Remember the grace Jesus showed you, then share it with others.
Lord, thank You for the grace given us by Jesus’ actions on the cross. Please help us to extend mercy to others when they cause us harm. Let us become more like Christ every day as we pursue Him with our whole hearts. IJNIP. Amen
