God's Abiding Love

Read: I John 4: 8-12

“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:30-31 (NKJV)

Did you ever notice that even with just two commandments, we have a hard time keeping either one of them? The Bible teaches us that since God’s love abides in us, His love has been perfected in us. God forgave us and loved us while we were still sinners, and He gave us His example to follow.

After salvation, His love abides within us. We can more readily keep these two commandments. It is possible for us to love God and our neighbor, as well as our self. Even if my carnal nature gets in the way of my obedience to these commands, Agape’s love within me will do the job much better than I could ever imagine. As I put my feelings and prejudices aside, Christ will love even the most indigent of humans through my feeble actions.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, let us pour out Your love to those in our family, neighborhood, workplace, community and church. You loved us without conditions and undeservedly. Help us to allow You to share Your love through us without restraint! 

Thought for the Day:

God’s love in us is the anchor for a world adrift in the sea of suffering.

If We Faint Not

Read: 1 Thessalonians 2:4-6

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

Sharing the gospel of Christ with an unbeliever and watching the light dawn in their face is extremely satisfying. God’s truth transforms them as we witness real change in their life. This happens so infrequently, however, that over time we tend to get discouraged and frustrated. We take our eyes off of Jesus and look instead at the lack of our results as we minister for the Lord.

Noah preached for 120 years and only his wife, sons and daughters-in-law believed his message. The entire known world at that time scoffed at his faith and message. Yet, he did not give up. Noah served God with His life of obedience and God saved all of those who trusted in Him. Noah faithfully preached as he built the ark and watched as God sent animals two by two, just as He said He would.

Noah and his family even trusted God as they entered the ark. Their friends, neighbors and even some of their family refused to join them. Then, God shut the door and they were locked outside when the rains came. I know that Noah must have grieved over losing these precious people in his life. He had a whole year in the Ark to mourn over their demise.

God brings the harvest in His perfect timing. There is no need for us to struggle or strain, because the battle is the God's (2 Chronicles 20:15) and He is the Lord of the Harvest (Matthew 9:38). We plow, we sow and we trust that our seed will eventually bear fruit. We may win one person who will eventually win a multitude, just because we took a moment to share a testimony of what God did in our life. When we arrive in Heaven, a host of Believers will welcome us, some of whom we never met before that day.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I look forward to standing in Your presence and seeing the full impact of my service to You. Therefore, use me now to share a smile, a hug, an understanding word, a listening ear and the word of my testimony in Your precious name.

Thought for the Day:

Always point people toward the One who loves them more than His own life.