Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
August 23, 2024
2 Cointhians 5:16-21
16 So then, from this point on we won’t recognize people by human standards. Even though we used to know Christ by human standards, that isn’t how we know him now. 17 So then, if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived! 18 All of these new things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and who gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 In other words, God was reconciling the world to himself through Christ, by not counting people’s sins against them. He has trusted us with this message of reconciliation. 20 So we are ambassadors who represent Christ. God is negotiating with you through us. We beg you as Christ’s representatives, “Be reconciled to God!” 21 God caused the one who didn’t know sin to be sin for our sake so that through him we could become the righteousness of God.
Good Morning! Be reconciled to God!
What does it mean to forgive someone? Forgiveness involves an intentional decision to let go of resentment and anger. The act that hurt or offended you might always be with you, but working on forgiveness can lessen that act's grip on you. As long as we hold on to resentment and anger, we are in the grasp of evil. It festers within us and taints our outlook on everything.
Most of us have had a time when we were told to forgive someone. I think of children who have disagreed, and an adult asks them to shake hands and make up. Often, you get no sense that one has forgiven the other. Squabbles and disagreements will occur in every relationship. Blessed are those who manage these rough times without harboring ill feelings.
When we consider God’s forgiveness, we see absolute, unconditional forgiveness. We are born sinners, and only by the grace of God can we be invited to be reconciled. God doesn’t keep tally marks of our sins, nor can we ever do enough good to earn our reconciliation. Praise God for unending mercy and compassion.
Faithful God, Thank you for creating us. We are sorry for our sinful ways. We thank you for loving us and allowing us to ask for forgiveness and guidance. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Our sins are forgiven and will not be remembered anymore.
Give your sins to God! Pastor Liz
Comments