God calls us to be faultless, to be comfortable and secure, to be of one mind, and to make our choices as we are led by His peace, so that His love and peace shall be with us always (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15). We are not to treat the wicked like an enemy, but to entreat them with kindness and empathy and to care about their needs.
It is so easy to handle negative people with the same attitude, but God is love, and when we know Him, we are drawn more toward love than revenge (1 John 4:8). God’s love is four dimensional. It surrounds us because it has width, length, depth, and height. As we mature spiritually, we experience more of His love that is deeper than human love (Ephesians 3:16-18).
As God’s love fills our heart, He fills our entire being with all His fullness (Ephesians 3:19, Amplified). He covers and protects us with His love because He is within us, and He saves us and rejoices over us with singing (Song of Solomon 2:4; Zephaniah 3:17). When we love Him, and we are called through Jesus according to His purpose, He delights in working out everything for our good (Romans 8:28).
As we mature, we realize that we were actually crucified with Jesus. Even though we live on this earth, it is not we who live, but Christ who abides within us. We still live life in our body; yet, it is not us, but Jesus who lives in and through us (Galatians 2:20).
We walk through each moment of our life by the faith of God’s Son, who loved us enough to go to the cross for us in order to lay down His life to pay the penalty for our sins. We receive this salvation by walking away from our sinful lifestyle and believing that Jesus died for each of us individually.
Nothing can ever separate us from the love of Christ: no trial or tribulation, no distress or persecution, no famine or nakedness, and no danger or threat of death. We are marked as martyrs for His sake, but in all of this we are more than conquerors through Him because of His love (Romans 8:35-37).
Prayer:
Father God, thank You that nothing in life or death, nor heavenly places or demonic forces, nor our current trials or future events, nor any created person or thing can separate us from Your love for us in Christ Jesus, our Lord (Romans 8:38-39). When we trust in You with our whole heart, we are delighted with the outcome. We shout for joy because You defend us, bless us for living in righteousness, and shield us with Your favor (Psalm 5:11-12).
We can never love You enough, but Your love for us spurs us to love You more each day. Thank You for sending Jesus to pay the penalty of our sins (1 Peter 4:8; 1 John 4:10). Your mercy is good to us, and You deliver us for Your name’s sake (Psalm 109:21). Even if this earth crumbles down around us, Your kindness, peace, and mercy are continually with us through it all as they inspire us to put our trust in the shelter of Your wings (Isaiah 54:10; Psalm 36:5-7).
Thoughts for the Day:
Even when we were still sinners, Jesus died for every generation from the beginning to the end of time. However, once we come to Christ by faith, we are also saved from God’s wrath over that sin. As we abide in His love, walk according to His precepts, and sacrificially love others as He loves us, Jesus brings us great joy because He loves us with the same love that our Father has for Him.
- Romans 5:8-9; John 15:9-17
