Category: All

Today’s devotion is based on the Message: Love Revealed (Watch Here)

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A little word makes a big difference.

“Jesus wants us to love everyone.”

Sounds good doesn’t it?

I would have to agree.

However the context of this statement has to be carefully considered.  In recent years, I have heard this phrase used often in a conversation where there is a discussion of a behavior that while it might be accepted and maybe even legal, it butts up against God’s moral law.   The phrase is thrown out, “Jesus wants us to love everyone, doesn’t he?” and it seems like the “moral ace card” has been played and the one opposing the behavior has to fall silent because who could disagree with the statement, “Jesus wants us to love everyone”?

The sentence sounds good.  

Jesus in John 13:34 said, “A new command I give you: Love one another.”

All too often Scripture is used as a convenient cover for tough and challenging conversations or even revelations that counter the culture or the accepted norm.

To be sure, Jesus wants us to love everyone.

To be sure, we cannot disagree with Jesus’ command to love one another.

However, where we must pause is the very next word: “As…”

John 13:34 continues, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Sometimes the smallest words make the biggest difference.

With this word, Jesus qualifies what our love of others is to look like.  It is to look the same way he has loved us.

With this word, Jesus challenges us to understand how he has loved us.  

With this word, Jesus turns us away from the world’s definition of love, how I think love should be practiced, or how the people around me wish love would be defined.

One cannot ignore the point Jesus is making.   In the same way Jesus has loved us, so we are to love others.

So, that takes work.  But it is work that is worth undertaking.

Before we get into a discussion about “loving everyone” or before we start making up our own definition or determination of what Jesus meant when he wants us to love one another, we must turn to Jesus to see how he actually did love us.  What happens in our search is to realize that every teaching, every interaction, every action which is recorded about Jesus is an opportunity to ask, “How did he love me in this situation?”

Consider a somewhat random passage from Matthew 5:1-2.  With these words, Matthew introduces the next three chapters.

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

Jesus loved these people enough to teach them about life in the kingdom of God, where blessing was to be found, what the law of God said, nuances of sin they may not have thought about, relationship issues, heart issues, and much more.

Why? Because just as a parent takes time to teach their child about life, relationships, faith and more because they love them, so Jesus did as well.  

There is much more that we will delve into the next couple of days to better understand how Jesus loved us.  And the great thing is, Jesus taught and modeled love throughout his ministry so that we would know not just a general idea, but very specifically what love is to look like when we love one another…and for that matter, love everyone.

Because one little word makes a big difference!

 

Apply: Read through Matthew 5-7.  Make a list of all the ways that Jesus loved us in the various teachings he gives in his Sermon on the Mount…you may need a couple of pages!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for loving everyone with a perfect love.  Help me grow in all the ways you have loved me so that I might truly love all around me JUST AS you have loved me.  AMEN!

Today’s devotion is based on the Message: Love Revealed (Watch Here)

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Failure.

Do you have the fear of failure?

Most people have a natural adversity to failing.  We usually don’t start something that we know we are going to fail at, at least not very often.  When we do fail, it can be crushing.  We may feel so defeated that we never try again.

On the other hand failure, when evaluated and learned from can move us forward in life.  If you quit playing little league baseball after missing your first pitch, you would have quit too soon.  If you would have dropped out of school after getting your first F on an assignment, you would have missed out on your education.

Failure happens because we are not perfect people.  Failure isn’t necessarily wrong, in fact, when failure causes us to evaluate and adjust and learn to do something a different way, it might be the best thing for us!

Have you ever failed at love?  Or has love ever failed you?

I would guess all of us would say, “yes” to this.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:8, “Love never fails.”

Has this been your experience?

Love NEVER fails?

How do we reconcile this passage with our experience?

To get to understand love that never fails, maybe we first evaluate what causes love to fail?

When we look at love from the world’s standpoint, we can begin to see where love breaks down.  Here’s a few reasons why love fails:

• Love is often based on feelings—such as attraction, chemistry, or happiness.
• Love tends to be conditional, based on the other person’s behavior, compatibility, or benefit to the individual.
• Often focused on what one receives—security, pleasure, validation, or fulfillment.
• Love can fade or shift based on circumstances, feelings, or unmet expectations.
• Idealized in media as a fairy tale or emotionally overwhelming experience.
• Definitions of love shift based on cultural trends, societal values, and personal preferences.

In all of these, love becomes subjective and has little substance upon which it stands. You can probably connect with one or two of these as you evaluate past experiences.

So, the benefit of failure is it leads us to ask, “What will keep me from failing in the future?”

The love that never fails is a love that is rooted in God’s love for us.  If we want to love to never fail, it must be rooted in the never failing love God has for us.  The Apostle John writes, 

1 John 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

It’s this love we want to discover so that God’s never-failing love takes deep root in us!

 

Apply: When has love failed you? Or seemed like it failed?  Which of the evaluations might have happened in that circumstance?

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for times we try to define and practice love based on the ways of the world.  Give me a humbleness of heart to learn from my failures and learn more of your never-failing love! AMEN

Today’s devotion is based on the Message: Love Revealed (Watch Here)

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“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud… It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
—1 Corinthians 13:4–8 (NIV)

There is no question that when one looks for examples of Christ-like love, we look to our mothers.  For sure, not every person has the blessing of a loving mother, but motherhood is still lifted up as a primary example of what love is.  Yesterday, on Mother’s Day, we paused to celebrate the women who have nurtured, guided, and loved us—mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, adoptive mothers, and spiritual mothers. 

Often the world defines motherhood by activity—diapers changed, meals cooked, soccer practices attended—Scripture points us to something deeper: the heart behind those actions. In 1 Corinthians 13, the apostle Paul describes the kind of love that mirrors the character of Christ. It’s no coincidence that this same kind of love often shows up in the life of a faithful mother.

“Love is patient, love is kind.” How many times has a mother waited with patient endurance through tantrums, teenage attitudes, or times of uncertainty? How many acts of unnoticed kindness—packing lunches, offering hugs, praying late at night—have flowed from a mother’s heart?

“It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” A godly mother rejoices in her children’s growth and victories, not her own recognition. Even in a world that often overlooks her quiet labor, she finds joy in others’ flourishing.

“It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” This kind of love chooses forgiveness over resentment, gentleness over harshness, humility over pride. Mothers who love this way reflect Christ—especially when no one else sees.  How many times does mom forgive!

“Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” This is the kind of fierce, enduring love that continues to believe in a child who has lost their way, hopes in hard seasons, and stays steadfast when life is overwhelming. This is agape love—selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional.

As great as our moms are, even the most devoted mother falls short. No human love is perfect. But that’s why we look to God’s love, the source of all true love. The love described in 1 Corinthians 13 is ultimately the love of Christ, poured into our hearts by His Spirit (Romans 5:5). We thank God for moms who lean on Jesus, who seek to be filled with his love, His strength, His grace, and His example so they might love well.

Thank you Lord for all our moms who live out this kind of love—not just through what they do, but through who they are. Strengthen them each day to love as you have loved them.

 

Apply: If you haven’t, take time today to give thanks to God for your mom…let her know too!

Prayer:  Lord thank you for moms who seek to reflect your heart of love.  Refresh and strengthen them as they continue to pour out their love to their children.  Encourage those that are struggling.  Give hope to moms experiencing loss and in all things fill the hearts of all with your unchanging and enduring love.  AMEN.

Today’s devotion is based on the Message: Trust Revealed (Watch Here)

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“I can’t wait until they are over!”

As our girls finish up their school semester by taking tests and exams, it brings back memories of that season of life where one spends hours studying, not just prior to an exam, but throughout the semester.  The week of exams was grueling with long hours of studying, the nervousness of wondering if you had prepared enough and then the mental focus to take an exam that could be a couple hours long.

But the stress leading up to all the tests melted away as the last one was handed in and the pressure and responsibility of homework and studies melted away to the freedom a relaxing schedule of the summer months.

What does this have to do with Psalm 23?

I don’t think that King David went through semester exams, but he went through life exams.  As we reflected on yesterday, some of those can be intense, stressful, dark and worrisome.

But David knew what was on the other side.  The joy, relief, and peace stood in contrast to the dark valleys of life:

         5      You prepare a table before me 

         in the presence of my enemies. 

         You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

         6      Surely goodness and love will follow me 

         all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. 

Four wonderful blessings that we get to enjoy as a result of the Lord being our Shepherd to lead us through life:

1. Being a welcome guest at the Lord’s table of blessings.  David had many enemies, but he knew he had safety in the Lord’s presence.  A picture of an invited guest of the Lord’s banquet gives a picture of what we experience in heaven from Revelation 19:9:Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” 
2. Being anointed by the Lord.  David was anointed with oil and set apart to be the king of Israel.  He knew he was chosen by God and as a result always was filled with the blessing of God.  At our baptism, we were set apart by God as his child.  We know, in spite of what anyone else would say, we are chosen children of God.  The Apostle Paul to the Corinthians expressed it this way (2 Corinthians 1:21-22): Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
3. Goodness and love will follow us every day.  Life may have its challenges and seasons that are not easy, but we are confident that goodness and love of God are not abandoning us, but rather walking with us. Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
4. We get to dwell with the Lord forever.  The best promise our Good Shepherd gives us is that after our journey through this life is over, our life begins in the presence of God forever.  This is always the hope, joy and peace for a Christian.  No matter what this life throws at us, we have a room being prepared for us in heaven that we will get to enjoy forever! The Apostle John records Jesus’ words (John 14:1-3): “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Summer break was always fun to look forward to after a long semester.  How much more the blessings of our Good Shepherd to look forward to both during and especially after our journey through this life. 

The Lord is YOUR shepherd.  Enjoy life with him each day!

 

Apply: What blessing of the Lord given in Psalm 23:5-6 give your heart peace today?

Prayer: Lord, our Good Shepherd.  Ensure my heart and mind are always focused on the blessings you give and you promise, even as I journey through the dark valleys of life.  AMEN.

Today’s devotion is based on the Message: Trust Revealed (Watch Here)

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I don’t like haunted houses.  I’ve been through a few in my lifetime and really have no desire to go through one again.  Obviously, the purpose of a haunted house is to create fear in the visitor.  The gruesome, the unexpected, and the evil depictions are somehow worth individuals paying money to go through.  

In reflecting on these experiences, I asked, “Why would someone go through these?”

Perhaps it is facing fears of life and making dealing with the gruesome and terrifying easier?

Perhaps it is being able to laugh at that which wreaks havoc on life?

Perhaps it’s just the simple knowledge that all of this is fake and I will make it through the other side.

But what about when “haunted house” depictions become reality in our own lives?  What happens when this isn’t a staged event for entertainment and it is reality in our lives that we must navigate?

It’s not easy.

Evil wreaks havoc on our world.

Tragedy instantaneously changes our world.

And sometimes we don’t know if we are going to make it out alive.

Psalm 23:4 is for such occasions in life. 

         4      Even though I walk 

         through the valley of the shadow of death,

         I will fear no evil, for you are with me; 

         your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

In a haunted house, you often want someone to go through it with you.  You may hold their hand or simply stay close to have someone to rely on if things go wrong.

The Lord is MY shepherd which means he is walking through these haunted houses of life with you. 

When you or a loved one get a medical diagnosis that is terminal…he is walking with you.

When you experience the loss of a loved one due to murder, drunk driving or some other evil…he is there with you.

When you are facing the challenge of mending a relationship, digging out of a financial hole, or the potential for job layoff, he is with you.

What this also means is the LORD is doing work on your behalf that you may never see. He uses the strength of his rod and the guidance of his staff to keep us from evil or keep evil from harming us.

The morning you are running late to work and forget your phone in the house may be your Good Shepherd delaying your departure to prevent you from getting in a serious car accident.

The day you read a devotion from the Word is the exact word of God you needed to overcome a temptation that could have cost you your job or your relationship.

The day you read these words from Psalm 23 is what you need as you watch or read the news to protect your heart from fear and lack of peace as you listen to what is going on in the world.

Because of sin, we live in a world that we often face the “valley of the shadow of death” or feel like it.  But remember this verse…The Lord, YOUR shepherd, is with you!

Apply: What “valley” are you facing today?  How can this verse give you courage to face that valley with confidence knowing that the Lord is with you?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being my shepherd that is willing to walk with me through the valleys and evils of this world with a promise to protect me from it.  Help me to never forget this promise, AMEN.