Devotional Video: Go to this link … Not a song today. Please take the time to take in this video which likely illustrates the love of God being expressed from one human to another better than any other I’ve ever seen. The video is entitled Here Is Love, … and when you see it you’ll see just a reflection of the love God has expressed to us through His Son and our Savior, Jesus.
Highlight Passage #1 - NKJV 1st John 4: 7; 16 … Our love for others is the test of Christian discipleship ...
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. … 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
============
Highlight Context - 1st John 4: 7-16 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK … Love is the test of our relationship with Christ
============
Reference Passage #1 - John 3: 16 [NKJV] … I”m sure you know this one by heart so I won’t insult you by quoting it here …
Reference Passage #2 - John 13: 34-35 [NKJV] … Jesus gives His inner 12 Disciples His great love commandment …
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread devotional entry, authored by Bill Crowder, uses an interesting illustration of what has been called “human chess” (see attached photo) … where humans take on the roles of chess pieces and play the game at their own whim, trying to do all they can to manipulate the other pieces to take the other team’s King. And the game, according to Crowder, illustrates real life, where so often we try to manipulate others to win a control advantage in this world.
But that’s not the game which our Lord envisions for His disciples to follow; and Jesus gave His own illustration when He came together with His inner twelve Disciples just before he went to the cross to exhibit the greatest love of all. Jesus, in His “Upper Room Discourse” (see John, Chapters 13-16) related what the essence of this life should hold for His followers. And in the Scripture passages copied and linked above, we read of His command - above all other commands - to love one another as a reflection of what these 12 would later see on the cross as Jesus died for mankind’s sin.
And in the video sequence, linked above for any reader’s reflection in this entry, you see that kind of love on display in real life. And it’s not a human chess game. It’s the real deal; and it’s the kind of love we, as Christians, should be sharing with one another in this world to reflect the love of God given to us by the Son of God on the cross [see John 13: 34-35].
So, let’s ask ourselves today. ARE WE REALLY LOVING OTHERS AS GOD LOVED US; … or … are we playing human chess with others, trying to control their lives to win an advantage in this life?
My Prayer for Today … Lord, … help me to love others as You have loved me. Amen
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment