Colossians 3:12-14

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

Practicing these characteristics do not earn you salvation, but because of your salvation they should be more apparent in your life as you grow in Christ. Love truly binds us to the Father. For us to even try to attain the traits listed above, love must be true. Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and forgiveness, will never be attained or sustained without love. Be totally committed to a life that exemplifies Jesus. A partial commitment is not a commitment at all. When we fill our hearts and minds with Godly virtues, we do not have room for fleshly desires and selfish hearts.

How are you doing in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness? What about love?
Is your commitment to Christ true enough that you will work on these areas in your life?

Matthew 7:1-2 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Luke 23:34 “Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

1 John 2:6 “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”

Dear Lord, may these traits be a way of life for us, and not a spotty attempt at righteousness. Please continue to change us from the inside out. May You be our focus, and your Son our example. Please forgive us of our pride, our revengefulness, and our false sense of entitlement. May we become less, and may You become more. Amen

Deuteronomy 15:15

“You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today.” Our true heart for God is seen in our true heart for others. None of us are good in ourselves, only through Christ are we acceptable to the Father. We must remember that we were a slave to sin before we were redeemed by the Cross of Christ. Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

August 12, 2022

Deuteronomy 10:12-13

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?” How would our lives change if we would just realize the benefits of following God’s ways, and fully committing our lives to Him? 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Psalm 25:10 “All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.” 1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”

August 11, 2022

Deuteronomy 9:25-26

“So I lay prostrate before the Lord for these forty days and forty nights, because the Lord had said he would destroy you. And I prayed to the Lord, ‘O Lord God, do not destroy your people and your heritage, whom you have redeemed through your greatness, whom you have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.” Does your heart bleed for those who are living apart from God? Do you pray earnestly for others, or do you write them off? Dear Lord, may we see others through your eyes, and may we love them as you have loved them, and as you also love us. May we also forgive them, as you have forgiven us. You alone are our salvation and our hope. May we truly desire, as You desire, that all come to know You, and that none should perish. Amen

August 10, 2022

Deuteronomy 8:17-19

“Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.” We are nothing without God. When we forget this fact, He loves us enough to remind us.

August 9, 2022

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” Not being in God’s Word, but declaring the desire to know Him more, is a contradiction of truth. How often is God’s Word on your mind? How often do you speak of God’s Word? Do you teach God’s Word to those God has entrusted you with?

August 8, 2022

Deuteronomy 5:32

“You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.” In our quest for a full relationship with God, rest-stops and alternate routes always delay our goal. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 4:25-27 “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.”

August 7, 2022