August 22, 2018 - LORD HAVE MERCY

Day 234 - (Today’s Bible readings: Deuteronomy 5:22-6:3; Psalm 51; John 20:1-18)

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgression.” (Psalm 51:1 ESV) 

Self-reliant Americans aren’t too keen on needing mercy. We like to think we can make it on our own. However, when it comes to life’s biggest challenge, we can’t even come close to making it on our own. We can’t even begin to pay for one sin on our own. “Nobody’s perfect” we like to say. This is so true. All of us need help. We all need Jesus! 

In Psalm 51 King David shows us where to find the solution to our sin problem. His words of confession, pleading with God for forgiveness, are to be our words too. You see, this is precisely why Jesus went to the cross... to pay for our sins and make us whiter than snow...to fill us with joy and gladness. And what is our response to be? 

“O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.” (Psalm 51:18 ESV) 

We pray:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” Amen. (Psalm 51:10-12 ESV) 

Pastor David Paape 

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 ), is the theme for this three-year journey through the entire Old Testament once (the Psalms - twice yearly), and the New Testament twice. There will be daily readings from the O.T., Psalms and the N.T. Special days on the church calendar will be highlighted with appropriate readings. This calendar has been compiled by representatives of the Lutheran Church of Canada, the North American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Please click this link for the daily reading calendar:
https://blogs.lcms.org/2017/lcms-lcc-and-nalc-compile-three-year-schedule-of-daily-bible-readings  
Then scroll down to 2018 Bible Reading Calendar and download it if you so wish. The “assigned” daily readings will appear on a daily basis in this blog. May the Lord bless your meditation upon His precious life-giving Word!