Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of the group Avalon singing… Orphans of God, poignantly declaring that we who are in Christ are His adopted family and should treat each others as family and not as strangers.
Highlight Passage: Deuteronomy 10:12, 19 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Opening our lives to extend love to others is our way of showing our love for God.
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Highlight Passage: Deuteronomy 10:12-22 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Moses recognized that loving God with all our hearts showed itself in loving others.
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Reference Passage #1 … John 13:34-45 [NKJV] …
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.”
… We are not being disciples of Christ unless we love one another.
My Journal for Today: … Our Daily Bread author, Tim Gustafson, related a personal reflection to illustrate how Christians must extend love and hospitality to others. He wrote: In the remote region of Ghana where I lived as a boy, “Chop time, no friend” was a common proverb. Locals considered it impolite to visit at “chop time” (mealtime) because food was often scarce. The maxim applied to neighbors and outsiders alike.
But in the Philippines, where I also lived for a time, even if you visit unannounced at mealtime, your hosts will insist on sharing with you regardless of whether they have enough for themselves. Cultures differ for their own good reasons.
Ugh! … Taking in today’s ODB devotional, especially the passages from God’s word, I am under conviction. Here I declare that I’m a disciple of Christ, yet I’m afraid my attitude is not that hospitable to show God’s love and compassion to needy “strangers and orphans” who desire to come into our land, … those who’ve been persecuted and are desperate for God’s love and provision.
We see so many in the news; don't we; … on the run from Syria and so many other war-torn lands these days. And we also see some who’ve been taken into our land as “orphans,” who’ve become radicalized, and now want to kill and maim those in the land who took them in.
What are we to do?
Well, I pray this day that I can remember the charge/challenge of our Savior to His disciples, of which I am now one [in John 13:34-35] … to show His love with anyone who needs His love, reaching out to share what I have, when I can, to those who need the love/provision of our God.
Today’s Prayer: Lord, help me to be hospitable, sharing Your love when I can. 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.
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