Today’s Scripture:

Psalm 51:1-4

Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
    blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
    and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
    and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
    and blameless when you pass judgment.

Food For Thought:

In this passage of Scripture, the Psalmist asks God to have mercy on him. I ran across this beautiful quote by Nishan Panwar about mercy: “Grace is when you get the good things you don’t deserve. Mercy is when you are spared from the bad things you do deserve. God is generous with both.” I am thankful that God’s grace and mercy are far more generous than we can ever imagine. I don’t know about you, but I am often in need of both. Think about how God has extended mercy or grace to you. Think about ways that you can extend mercy and grace to others. I think forgiveness is an integral part of mercy and grace, so think about one person that you need to forgive today. Seek that person out and offer forgiveness.

Prayer:

Persistently forgiving God, 
we are a stiff-necked and stubborn people 
who try your patience; 
yet, instead of giving us up for lost, 
you seek us out until we return to you.  Break our willfulness 
and bring us back from our wanderings; 
bend our pride and create in us pure and faithful hearts, 
which rejoice in your forgiveness 
made known through Jesus Christ. In your sacred name we pray, Amen.