In Touch Devotional By Dr Charles Stanley

In Touch Devotional 26th February 2024 || Cheerful Readiness

READ IN TOUCH DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR MONDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2024

You are welcome to Today’s In Touch Daily Devotional written by Dr Charles Stanley and published by In Touch Ministry. Charles F. Stanley is the founder of In Touch Ministries and a New York Times best-selling author. He demonstrates a keen awareness of people’s needs and provides Christ-centered biblically-based principles for everyday life.

Today’s Topic: Cheerful Readiness

God offers mercy willingly and lavishly, not grudgingly—and we should do the same.

Scripture: James 2:8-13

8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

IN TOUCH DAILY DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE FOR FEBRUARY 26TH, 2024

Today we conclude our four-part exploration of Romans 12:1-8 by looking at mercy, the last spiritual gift mentioned in Paul’s letter. This one is a bit more descriptive in the English translation: The apostle says that “one who shows mercy” is to do so “with cheerfulness” (v. 8). However, both words he uses here are far richer than the English language can convey.

The word for “showing mercy” is eleeó, which means “to show mercy as God defines it” or “as it accords with His truth.” That is, our goal should be to show mercy as God Himself would—lavishly and without hesitation. The term also conveys the idea of His “covenant loyalty” or “covenant love.” God loves us and shows mercy toward us even when we are unfaithful and disobedient, and even when we break His heart. We are likewise to demonstrate mercy even when people fall short of our expectations or hurt us.

Finally, the word translated as “cheerfulness”—hilarotés—means “not grudging” or “already won over, approving.” We should show mercy without having to be convinced, prodded, or talked into it. Rather, doing so should be our default setting. When we are working in the power of the Holy Spirit, mercy pours from us as effortlessly as water from a tap.

Bible in One Year: Deuteronomy 15-17