Welcome to today's encouragement from your friends at Our Daily Bread.

The devotional writer for today is Arthur Jackson, and he's given us mercy for you.

One of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic was the docking of cruise ships and the quarantining of passengers.

The Wall Street Journal featured an article that included interviews of some of the tourists.

Commenting about how being quarantined provided more opportunities for conversations,

one passenger joked how his spouse, who possessed an excellent memory, was able to bring up every transgression he ever had

and sensed she wasn't done yet. Accounts like this may make a smile, remind us of our

humanness, and serve to caution us if we are prone

to hold too tightly to the things we should release. Yet what helps us to be kindly disposed to

those who hurt us? Glimpses of our great God, as he's portrayed in passages like Psalm 103,

verses 8 through 12. The messages rendering of verses 8 through 10 is

noteworthy. God is sheer mercy and grace, not easily angered. He's rich in love. He doesn't

endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve,

nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. Asking for God's help as we prayerfully read Scripture

can cause us to have second thoughts about ill-conceived payback or plans to punish,

and it can prompt prayers for ourselves and for those

we may be tempted to harm by withholding grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Hear the Word of the Lord. This is today's Our Daily Bread Devotional Scripture reading, Psalm 103,

verses 8 through 12.

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever.

He does not treat us as our sins deserve, or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the

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