December 10 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

1 Peter 5:1-11:

¹The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
²Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
³Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.
⁴And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
⁵Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
⁶Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
⁷Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
⁸Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
⁹Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
¹⁰But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you.
¹¹To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Devotional

God is holy. Man is a sinner. Jews and Gentiles "are all under sin." "There is none righteous, no, not one . . . . There is none that seeketh after God . . . . There is none that doeth good, no, not one." But God is a God of grace. "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." But thou O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth." "The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men."

It has appeared in Christ. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. And by this grace we are saved. "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." The chasm between the holy God and sinful man is bridged by the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

The publican prayed, "God, be merciful to me a sinner." God — mercy — a sinner. The publican went down justified to his house. Mercy brought God and the sinner together. "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." His grace is sufficient in life and in death.

Prayer

O Thou God of ail grace, we thank Thee, that where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. We thank Thee, that the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God cleanseth us from all sin. We thank Thee, that Thou hast called us from sin and degradation unto Thy eternal glory by Christ Jesus; that sin no longer reigns over us unto death; but that Thy grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Help us, O Lord, to magnify Thy grace. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Rom. 3:9-12; 5:20; Ps. 86:15; Titus 2:11; John 1:17; Eph. 2:8, 9; Luke 18:13, 14: Ps. 32:1, 2; Heb. 4:16; 2 Cor. 12:9.

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