Daily Devotion for February 22, 2026

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 18:21-35.

The parable about the unforgiving servant, is not just about unforgiveness.  It is also about: poor money management, selfishness, greed, the love of money, a critical spirit, grace and mercy. There are many different lessons in this story. One of the major lessons Jesus is teaching us is about forgiveness. It is better to forgive and let go of the injustices of the past than to allow them to remain and let bitterness take root and poison the rest of our life.

The king in this story models for the man who owed him a huge debt, what forgiveness, mercy and grace looks like. The lesson did not take because when he was forgiven of all he owed he found someone who owed him a small amount of money, and he refused to forgive. He showed him no mercy or grace and had him thrown in prison. When the king found out he was very upset and said, should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you? God has forgiven us of every sin. Since God has forgiven us of our many sins, let us forgive others.

Personal Worship Option:

Merciful God, thank You for showing us what true mercy looks like. You have forgiven us of our sins, our failures, and our moments of pride. We now forgive everyone who has ever treated us bad. Let our life reflect Your mercy and forgiveness. In Jesus name. Amen.

Daily Devotion for February 21, 2026

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 6: 14-15.

At the closing of The Lord’s Prayer Jesus gives us a lesson about forgiveness.  Forgiveness is important. Holding on to resentment and holding a grudge hurts you more than the other person. Most of them do not know you are holding a grudge and some of them do not care. It is healthier for our emotional wellbeing to let it go and not allow the anger to fester in our hearts. If we do not forgive, it will hinder our prayer life.

Jesus doesn’t say forgiveness is easy, but He does make it clear that it’s essential.  To forgive doesn’t mean pretending the hurt didn’t happen. When we pray a prayer to forgive them, at first, we may feel a bit like a hypocrite because emotionally we did not mean it. We said the words, but our heart is not in it. But, if we will pray a prayer for forgiveness every day, at some point with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will mean it, and our emotions will catch up to our prayers.

Let us choose grace over grudges and forgive.

Personal Worship Option:

Merciful God, thank You for forgiving me. Your mercy is amazing and gives me a fresh start each day. I admit that sometimes it’s hard to forgive others. When forgiveness feels impossible, fill me with Your Spirit and give me strength to let go. In Jesus name. Amen.

Daily Devotion for February 20, 2026

Devotion:

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Read Mark 11:22-26.

Prayer is powerful, but it loses some of its power when we do not forgive.  Have you prayed today?  What about this week?  What about this month?  Have you had God answer a prayer in a snap?  Many of us have prayed and prayed a bunch of times but haven't seen the answer yet.  Sometimes it takes a while to see an answer to prayer.  Sometimes God wants to increase our faith.  He makes us stronger when we keep praying to Him.  But there are times when prayers are blocked.  

Prayers can be hindered if we refuse to forgive people.  If we hold on to anger and unforgiveness it’s like having a big rock in our heart that blocks our prayers.  Forgiving doesn’t mean what someone did was okay - it means letting go of the hurt so God can fill our hearts with peace.  When we forgive others, God forgives us and answers our prayers. 

Personal Worship Option:

Prayer for today: “Dear God, thank You for loving me and hearing my prayers. Help me to trust You, to talk to You every day, and to forgive others just like You forgive me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Daily Devotion for February 19, 2026

Devotion:

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Read Isaiah 1:18.

I love how God begins this verse regarding forgiveness with the phrase, “Come now, and let us settle the matter.” The picture God paints of forgiveness in Isaiah 1:18 is bold and profound.  At first glance, we might only notice the imagery of the colors.  Sin, scarlet red, being made white as snow, crimson like wool.  Christ’s blood forever took away our sin if we ask for forgiveness.  In Christ’s death and resurrection lies the only hope of a restored relationship with God. Christ redeemed and destroyed sin on the cross.  Only His blood could settle that.

At the time God spoke these words through Isaiah, the people of God offered the blood of animals as atonement for sin.  This blood covered over their sin, but it could not take it away.  Only the blood of the Christ to come would purify and change lives. Hundreds of years later, Jesus settled the matter once and forever.   His life was offered so that we might be fully forgiven.

Personal Worship Option:

Dear God, thank you that because of your sacrifice on the cross, I can be forgiven. Thank you for making me new by the blood of your son Jesus. In His name I pray, amen.

Daily Devotion for February 18, 2026

Devotion:

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Read Psalm 103:8-12.

I have always appreciated Ash Wednesday, certainly for what it signifies on the church calendar, but also for how it is perceived and received by the general public in our area. Years ago, when I was teaching history at a (now defunct) local college, I can still remember the reaction of one of my students on that Ash Wednesday. That morning, I had stopped by a local United Methodist church for their Ash Wednesday service and received the ashes from the minister. When I was teaching that afternoon, I noticed one of the students on the front row staring at me during class. Afterwards with a look of concern, she came up and asked me, “are you okay? And why is there dirt on your head?” It was definitely a teachable moment, and the start of a good discussion. 

Ash Wednesday is a day of remembrance, and the applied ashes are to remind us of our mortality. But they are also a reminder of who we belong to (we are children of God) and who we are as forgiven sinners. Through the love and sacrifice of Christ we are forgiven. But the wonderful news about Ash Wednesday is that Jesus came not just for our forgiveness, but that the whole world would know about his forgiveness and love. That’s a message for us to share not only on Ash Wednesday, but every day.

Personal Worship Option:

Lord, help us not to keep this good news to ourselves. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Daily Devotion for February 17, 2026

Devotion:

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Read Colossians 3:12-14.

In Colossians 3:12–14, the Apostle Paul invites believers to consider what they wear—not on the outside, but on the heart. Because we are God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, our identity comes before our behavior. We do not practice compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience to earn God’s love; we live this way because we already have it.

Paul uses the image of clothing intentionally. Just as we choose what to put on each day, we must intentionally “put on” Christlike character. These virtues rarely come naturally, especially when we are wronged or misunderstood. That is why Paul emphasizes forgiveness—just as the Lord forgave you. Forgiveness is not rooted in feelings but in obedience and grace.

Above all, Paul says to put on love, which “binds everything together in perfect unity.” Love is the outer garment that holds every other virtue in place. Without love, kindness becomes shallow, patience runs thin, and humility fades. Love, however, reflects the very nature of Christ and makes our faith visible to the world.

This passage reminds us that spiritual maturity is not measured by how much we know, but by how well we love. When we clothe ourselves in Christ daily, our lives become living testimonies of His transforming grace.

Personal Worship Option:

Lord, help me to remember who I am in You—chosen, holy, and deeply loved. Teach me each day to clothe myself with compassion, humility, patience, and forgiveness. Above all, wrap my life in love, so that others may see Christ in me. Amen.

Daily Devotion for February 16, 2026

Devotion:

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Read Ephesians 4:32.

This letter is sometimes referred to as the “queen of the epistles,” because of its beautiful Greek and its wonderful teachings. We think it was a circular letter, written to be circulated around new churches in western Asia Minor (now modern day Turkey). The letter likely ended up in Ephesus, a city in which Paul had ministered for some time. Chapter 4, in which our verse for today is found, is all about how to live together in the local church. This verse tells us to show kindness and compassion to one another, forgiving one another just the way God forgave us.

Willie Nelson had a hit song a few years ago that began with the line, “Forgiving you was easy, but forgettin’ seems to take the longest time.” We believe that when God forgives us, God also forgets our mistakes. This is the kind of forgiveness Paul is calling us to practice in the church. We all make mistakes and need forgiveness for those. Forgiveness that hangs on to the other person’s mistake, brings it up occasionally, and holds it over them is not living the way of Jesus Christ.  

Personal Worship Option:

Gracious God, you have forgiven me and continue to forgive me when I make mistakes. Help me to do better and help me to forgive others of their mistakes in a similar way. This is not easy, and I need your help to both forgive and to forget. Amen.