Devotion for 6 November

A brief prayer is offered that you can add to your daily prayers this week. The scripture is from our Sunday Service Bulletin for today. 

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

²³ “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants²⁴ When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.²⁵ And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶ So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. ²⁸ But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.³¹ When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. ³² Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³ And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. ³⁵ So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

The message here is straightforward: as God forgives we should forgive. Think of it as sharing God’s forgiveness. As believers we share other aspects of His Kingdom. In our worship service we share God’s peace; we also share words of praise as we sing together; and we also share a communal meal in the Lord’s Supper. Think of the other things we share: promise of support at a baptism or a marriage.  What can we share with unbelievers or unchurched folks we know? We can invite them to worship or to participate in one of our ministries. A personal invitation to share the good news is one of the most important, lifesaving things you can do for an unbeliever.