Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Is Ephraim my dear son?
Is he the child I delight in?
As often as I speak against him,
I still remember him.
Therefore I am deeply moved for him;
I will surely have mercy on him,
says the Lord.”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, July 9, 2025
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
We are all God’s children. We mess up. Royally. No matter how surrendered and self-actualized we are, we have moments where our egos tell us we’re not getting a fair deal in life. Sometimes we act on our discontentedness and wind up causing harm to others. Sometimes we justify our bad behavior or unkind thoughts or lack of action. God sends us prophets to remind us what is important—love for God and our neighbors—and make it pretty clear we ought to be doing this. Sometimes we ignore them. And I imagine that, despite how much God loves us, God finds this pretty irritating. But in spite of that, in spite of us, God still remembers us. God is deeply moved for us even when we are the architects of our own pain. And God has mercy on us, no matter what.
Where have I experienced God’s mercy even when it seems like I didn’t deserve it?
