Daily Devotional based on the Revised Common Lectionary for Friday, March 20, 2026
Readings:
Psalm 130:1-8
Ezekiel 33:10-16
Revelation 11:15-19.
There are days when the weight of our failures feels too heavy to carry. We look at what has been done, what has been lost, and what has gone wrong, and it can seem like there is no way forward. Ezekiel 33:10-16 speaks into that kind of despair. The people cry out, wondering how they can live under the burden of their sins. God’s answer is not one of cold judgment, but of urgent mercy. God makes it plain that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but desires that people turn and live.
That same cry rises in Psalm 130. “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.” Psalm 130 is the prayer of someone who knows they cannot save themselves. Yet it is also the prayer of someone who has not given up on God. The psalmist does not deny sin. He does not excuse it. But he does trust that with the Lord there is steadfast love and great power to redeem. That is the ground of hope. Our future is not determined only by our past. God still calls. God still forgives. God still restores.
Then Revelation 11:15-19 lifts our eyes higher. The kingdoms of this world will not have the final word. Brokenness will not reign forever. Sin will not rule forever. The Lord and His Christ will reign forever and ever. What begins in Psalm 130 as a cry from the depths ends in Revelation as a declaration of victory. The God who hears our repentance is also the God who will establish His righteous kingdom.
So today, do not stay in the place of despair. Do not confuse conviction with rejection. If there is breath in your body, there is still a way back. Turn to God. Cry out to Him. Wait on Him. Hope in Him. His mercy is greater than your failure, and His kingdom is greater than your fear.
Prayer 🙏
Merciful God, when I feel buried under the weight of my sin, remind me that Your grace is deeper still. Give me the courage to turn back to You with my whole heart. Teach me to wait on You, trust in Your mercy, and live in the hope of Your coming kingdom. In Jesus’ name, amen.