February 14, 2024 … Sharing God’s Greatest Gift

February 14, 2024 … Sharing God’s Greatest Gift   

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Matt Boswell and Matt Papa singing … The Everlasting Love of God …  poignantly, and yet powerfully, singing of how we Christians share God’s greatest gift when we share His love with others.   

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Highlight Passage: … 1Corinthians 13:3 [NLT] … 

3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.           

… God, thru the Apostle Paul shows God’s chosen that His love - thru Christ - is God’s greatest gift.       

Highlight Passage (in context) … 1Corinthians 13 … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul teaches fellow Christians how the Love of God, shared with others, is God’s greatest gift.  

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Reference Passage: … Psalm 23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… King David describes, in song, the extent of God’s God’s love shared with mankind as their (our) Good Shepherd.      

Reference Passage: … John 3:16 [NLT] …  

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.   

… Jesus declares to Nicodemus (and to us all) of God The Father’s willingness to give up His Son to save all who would believe on Him as Messiah and Lord.       

Reference Passage: … Galatians 2:20 [NLT] …  

20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 

… The Apostle Paul declares that His faith in Christ’s shed blood allows him (and fellow Christians) to live and love others like Jesus loves us.  

Reference Passage: … Romans 5:8 [NLT] …  

8 But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  

… The Apostle Paul declares God’s willingness to give us His gift of love by sending His Son to die to save us from our sinful human nature.   

       

Reference Passage: … Philippians 2:3-5 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul exhorts fellow Christians to take on the attitude of Christ (i.e, God’s love) when we humble ourselves to serve others.       

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author , Karen Pimpo -  AT THIS LINK -    shares a story about Jim and Laneeda, a couple married for a number of years when, at age 47, Laneeda was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s and Jim had to take on the role of caretaker for his wife’s needs.  But Jims declared, “Alzheimer’s has given me the opportunity to love and serve my wife in ways that were unimaginable when I said, ‘I do.’ ”

That story from today’s ODB entry gripped me with the challenge of using God’s everlasting love (as sung in the linked song) to love my wife, my family, or really all others, in the way that God gave His Son to be His eternal gift of love and life to me - and to you as well - as HIs greatest gift to us.  But I’m challenged, asking if I’m really willing to share that gift with others, as Jim was when called to become Laneeda’s caretaker.  I’m praying we all receive God’s gift of His love and grace to be able to humble ourselves to share God’s gift of love with others.  

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for Your willingness to give me Your gift of love to regift to others today.  

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray. again today, that all reading here will join me, … to reach out and share Your gift of love with others today and even more tomorrow.   Amen  

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Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.