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Romans 12:14-18

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

Personal Challenge

This passage is full of wise advice on how to live our lives in godly ways. Bless our persecutors. Do not curse. Rejoice and weep with those who need it. Be like minded with our brothers and sisters. Don’t focus on high and mighty things but be humble. Don’t repay evil with evil. Have regard for others and live peaceably with all. But, at the center of this list is the charge to not be wise in our own opinion. This is the one the gets us in to trouble more often than not. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Psalms 119:11 (118:11)

I hid Your teachings in my heart
So as not to sin against You.

Personal Challenge

As I get older, I recognize how important it has been to store up God’s words in my heart. As my memory begins to wane His teachings continue to be there for me. I may not be able to recall them all the time, but they do continue to lead and comfort me. Glory be to God!

Psalms 119:2 (118:2)

Blessed are those who search out His testimonies;
They shall search for Him with their whole heart.

Personal Challenge

We all desire to receive God’s blessing. This is part of being created in the image of God. We desire to be connected with our creator. If we truly desire to receive His blessing, then we must be searching for Him in all aspects of life. He placed Himself throughout all of creation. We can find those testimonies about Himself by searching for them, for Him. We need do this with our whole heart. This is not a search for knowledge but a search for God Himself. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy on me as I search for You in every nook and cranny of life!

Romans 12:9

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

Personal Challenge

This short verse packs quite a wallop. We all have heard the two great commandments given to us by Jesus… Love God and love our neighbor. But like so many other things in the Christian walk, we can slip into a mode where we are pretending to love this way. Paul reminds us that we must love without being hypocrites. Is our love true and real? Is it Christ-like. Do we really abhor evil or just talk about it? Do we cling to what is good like our life depends on it? Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Psalms 118:24 (117:24)

This is the day the Lord made;
Let us greatly rejoice, and be glad therein.

Encouraging Words

As I look out the window on this beautiful spring-like day and listen to the birds and squirrels chattering outside, this verse comes fully to life. This is the beautiful day that He has given me to enjoy in Him. How can I not greatly rejoice and be glad in it? We so often let the busyness of life get in the way of every day like this. Glory be to God for He is good!

Romans 12:4-5

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

Personal Challenge

These verses so clearly inform us on how we should behave with our brothers and sisters in our church community. It takes everyone with their gifts and talents to make the body work effectively. What about how we interact with other Christian communities that also follow Christ, but might do that a little different than we do? We are still all one body in Christ, and we must recognize that God needs us all to build His kingdom. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Psalms 118:8-9 (117:8-9)

It is good to trust in the Lord
Rather than to trust in man;
It is good to hope in the Lord
Rather than to hope in rulers.

Personal Challenge

It is difficult for us finite human beings to not put our hope and trust in fellow humans. God is the only one that we can trust. Putting our unwavering and total trust in people of this world will only end in bad results. Putting our hope in people leads us down their path and their ways, which will never end up God’s ways. God deserves our complete trust and hope, and He will never lead us astray Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Romans 12:1-2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Personal Challenge

Jesus paved the way for us to be able to live our lives as living sacrifices. He was the first to be a living sacrifice. He gave His entire life for His Father and us. He died for us. And He came back to life from the grave after completing His work of defeating death so that we would have eternal life with Him. The ask for us to sacrifice ourselves to this world is an ask for us to follow in His footsteps and to live for Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Psalms 118:1-4 (117:1-4)

Alleluia.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say that He is good,
For His mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Aaron say that He is good,
For His mercy endures forever.
Let all who fear the Lord say that He is good,
For His mercy endures forever.

Personal Challenge

We are also called to enter into this praise of our Lord. His mercy does endure forever. We are continually the recipients of His mercy and love. We can proclaim at the top of our lungs with joy and fervor that He is good and that we are blessed, for His mercy endures forever. Glory be to God!