Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our Reading titled, Warts and All, was written by Cindy Hess Casper.

Oliver Cromwell, known as the Protector of England, was a military commander in the 17th century.

It was common practice during those days for people of importance to have their portraits painted,

and it wasn't unusual for an artist to avoid depicting the less attractive aspects of a person's face.

Cromwell, however, wanted nothing to do with a likeness that would flatter him.

He cautioned the artist, you must paint me just as I am, warts and all, or I won't pay you.

Apparently, the artist complied. The finished portrait of Cromwell displays a couple of

prominent facial warts that in the present day

would surely be filtered or airbrushed before being posted on social media. The expression,

warts and all, has come to mean that people should be accepted just as they are, with all their

annoying faults, attitudes, and issues. In some cases, we feel that's too difficult to

task. Yet, when we take a hard inward look, we might find some pretty unattractive aspects of our

own character. We're grateful that God forgives our warts, and in Colossians 3, we're taught to extend grace to

others. The Apostle Paul encourages us to be more patient, kind, and compassionate, even to those who

aren't easy to love. He urges us to have a forgiving spirit because of the way God forgives us.

By his example, we're taught to love others the way God loves us, warts and all.

Today's Our Daily Bread Devotional Scripture reading is from Colossians chapter 3 verses 12 through 15.

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you

has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues,

put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,

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