Today's Verse: Leviticus 19:18

Friday, June 26, 1998

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
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Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Hanging on to bitterness and keeping alive grudges is consuming and exhausting work. It leaves little energy for blessing others, praising God, or enjoying life. The only way to overcome a bitter heart toward others is to actively love and serve them in ways that bless their lives, as we ask God to help us forgive them. If we can't do this because it's hard to feel like it is the right thing to do, let's do it because we know God and want to please him. After all, Jesus said that how we let go of the sins and grudges we have toward others is how God will choose to deal with our sins and failures (Matthew 6:14-15). So, dear brother or sister in Christ, let's forgive because we have been blessed with mercy, grace, love, and forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32). When we love others, we find the Spirit empowering us to become ever more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18), our Lord and Savior!

Video Commentary...

We've included Phil's ToGather video from four years ago as an added blessing to our verse today:

My Prayer...

Father of light, love, and mercy, please remove from my heart any cynicism toward others who dislike me or hurt me. Please remove any delight in seeing others around me fail when they have wanted me to fail. Instead, please use me as a friend rather than an enemy, a helper rather than a detractor, a person who forgives rather than one who holds a grudge. I want your grace to be seen in my friendships and the way I let go of offenses committed against me. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

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4 Related Resources by Heartlight

Illustration

Illustration of Leviticus 19:18 — Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Friday, June 26, 1998

Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
"Dear Father, Keep us from turning back to any weak and beggarly things. Help us to live in the glorious freedom brought by the Son of God. Let Christ..."
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"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless."
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"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by. I cry out...."
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
"Pharaoh's dream has too often been my waking experience. My days of sloth have ruinously destroyed all that I had achieved in times of zealous..."

About This Devotional

Today's Verse is a free daily devotional that includes a Bible verse, thought and prayer.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.