A Daily Devotion for Tuesday, November 4

Psalm 103:1-12

Praise the LORD, my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the LORD, my soul,

and forget not all his benefits—

who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The LORD works righteousness

and justice for all the oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses,

his deeds to the people of Israel:

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,

nor will he harbor his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Ephesians 4:32

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

I love how these two pieces of scripture come together. And the writer of the devotion described the Indian tradition of touching an elder’s feet as a showing of respect. It led me to think about how we treat people every day. What if we made an effort to show respect, even “extra” respect, each time we interact with another? Instead of waiting for the Holy Spirit to knock me over the head with an obvious opportunity to do the right thing, I should be looking for ways to extend God’s love to others. I don’t think this needs to be overextending ourselves or becoming involved in multiple ministries all at once. Couldn’t we show the kind of respect illustrated by the Indian custom? How would that look I our own culture, as Christians?

Holy Lord, you show me so much love, and give me true hope for the future. I want to love and respect and nurture your people in your name. You will provide me with what I need, and I am thankful. Amen

Becky, transforming