Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Mia Fieldes singing … Fearless … poignantly singing of how we can - and must - reflect the love of God into the lives of others, … doing so fearlessly because of God’s fearless love for us.
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Highlight Verse[s]: 1 John 4:118-9 [NLT] … 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other because He loved us first.
… God showed His ultimate love for us; and so, we can fearlessly show our love for others, reflecting His love.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1 John 4:7-19 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru John, express His truth about loving others fearlessly because He first loved us to die for our sins.
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Reference Passage : … John 3:16 [NIV] … 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.
… Yes, God truly did love us FIRST - and enough so to give the life of His Son for us. And that’s the kind of love we should be sharing with others every day.
Reference Passage : … John 13:34-35 [NIV] … 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
… Jesus has commanded His disciples (that’s us too!) to show His love by loving one another.
Reference Passage : … John 15:12-13 [NIV] … 12 This is My commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
… Jesus clearly shows the extent to which we, as His disciples, need to show our love for one another … the same kind of love He was - and is - willing to show for us.
Reference Passage : … 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 [NIV] … USE THIS LINK ...
… God, thru Paul, shows us what real love is all about.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Xochitl Dixon, uses a personal remembrance to illustrate the essence of Christlike - FEARLESS - love. And the ODB author wrote: For years I wore a shield of fear to protect my heart. It became an excuse to avoid trying new things, following my dreams, and obeying God. But fear of loss, heartache, and rejection hindered me from developing loving relationships with God and others. Fear made me an insecure, anxious, and jealous wife, and an overprotective, worrying mother. As I continue learning how much God loves me, however, He’s changing the way I relate to Him and to others. Because I know God will care for me, I feel more secure and willing to place the needs of others before mine.
Hearing the poignant song today by Mia Fieldes and reading the ODB entry and meditating on the Scriptures referenced above, has helped me to realize the truth and extent of God’s - John 3:16 - love for us; and my conviction level has intensified that I need to show more “Christlike” love to others as a reflection of His love.
What are your feelings when you’ve taken in the truth I’ve shared above?
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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your fearless, relentless, incomparable - but “reflectable” - love.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to FEARLESSLY be willing to share the love God has shown to us with others today. … 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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