The Lord has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives. LK 4:17
HEBREWS 4:12-16
My Soul's Beloved,
The words in today's Epistle are most illuminating, invigorating, and comforting. We thank You, Lord for the power of Your Word in Sacred Scripture that can at any time and anywhere convict, raise to life, and bring about transformation. No matter how dead a soul may be to a life of grace God has the power to wake up the sick, dying, indifferent spirit to a new life of beauty, dignity, grace, power, life, love, goodness, and truth.
Lord Jesus, You know everything. You know our weaknesses, You know why we are the way we are, it is most comforting to know that nothing is hidden from Your loving gaze. You know all, You see all, You understand all. You do not despise us because we are weak for You were once like us and You know that being human, we suffer from the effects of original sin and how vulnerable it makes us to the lure of the world, the flesh, and the devil. You pity us and are always at hand to help us overcome our base inclinations. Although You were tempted in every way that we are tempted You never sinned this is why You do understand and have compassion on us and are ever willing to assist us by the power of Your grace and Holy Spirit.
Thank You, Father, for the confidence we have in Jesus, Your Son who even though He is the Son of God is also the Son of Man and understands us, and for the never-failing help of the Holy Spirit who abides in us and helps us to be holy and perfect just as You, Father, are holy and perfect.
Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.
PSALM 18(19):8-10,15
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.
My Soul's Beloved,
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he keep his anger for ever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far he removes our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
For he knows how we were made;
he remembers that we are dust.
Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.
PSALM 18(19):8-10,15
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.
The law of the Lord is perfect,
it revives the soul.
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,
it gives wisdom to the simple.
it revives the soul.
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,
it gives wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
they gladden the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear,
it gives light to the eyes.
they gladden the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear,
it gives light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is holy,
abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth
and all of them just.
abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth
and all of them just.
May the spoken words of my mouth,
the thoughts of my heart,
win favour in your sight, O Lord,
my rescuer, my rock!
the thoughts of my heart,
win favour in your sight, O Lord,
my rescuer, my rock!
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.
MARK 2:13-17
My Soul's Beloved,
It is wonderful to know that You came for me, a sinner and there is always hope for the most incorrigible sinner as long as we have breath in our body to turn to You with a contrite heart and a humble spirit. No sin no matter how grave is beyond the power of Your mercy and Your ability to forgive. The sinner always has access to the compassionate heart of God. It is always wrong to be so prideful as to say that You cannot forgive a particular sin or sins, this is the work of Satan, the Father of Lies, the great deceiver who peddles this lie and we must never fall into this trap.
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he keep his anger for ever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far he removes our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
For he knows how we were made;
he remembers that we are dust.
When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this he said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’
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