Devotion
Love one another as Christ has loved you
David Jacobs
I love my children more than I love myself. I have thought about whether or not I love my children unconditionally: what if they intentionally tried to destroy my wife, themselves, or me? I hope that I would be able to continue loving them, but I am not sure. Christ sets a very high benchmark for us: to love each other as he loved us. Certainly easier said than done! Compared to the other commandments, perhaps the most difficult as well.
Ponder the original Ten Commandments and what do you think of? When I think about them I think about things that I am not supposed to do: murder, steal, commit adultery, use the Lord's name in vain. They are in a sense, prohibitive. Now read the verses above: John illustrates, loving ones brothers and sisters is a new commandment. What's more, it's imperative, telling us what we need to do. How amazing would the world be if we loved one another as God loves us! Think about the other commandments if we followed this new commandment in the book of John: many of the other commandments would be unthinkable, impossible to even consider! Nobody would covet, steal, or murder. In a way, this new commandment encapsulates all of the others. Is it a lofty goal? Of course. Is it something that we should all strive for with all of our being? You know the answer.
Prayer
My guiding light, my Shepherd! Lord, please hear my prayer! By your grace I implore you to help me love those around me: my neighbors, family, and even enemies. I ask that you help me to open my heart to them, just as you and your son, Jesus Christ, have done to me. It is all that I long for with all that I am. In your name I pray, Amen.
Night Prayer
For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Inspiration
God commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves, which is easier said than done. God loves us although we are challenging to love, and He extends mercy to us for actions that seem impossible to forgive. His love is available to everyone, and we must make our lives a reflection of His character. We trust the Holy Spirit to guide our hearts and teach us to act as commanded.
Prayer
Dear God, we trust Your Spirit to help us love each other as You love us. We desire to be a reflection of Your character to everyone we meet. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
Do We See and Hear?
Frances Taylor
Jesus spoke in parables to the people of his time as well as to us. Do we hear and understand what he is trying to tell us? We have heard and read the parable of the sower and the seed many times, and we have read the meaning of the parable as well so we understand what Jesus was saying. However, there are other parables such as the Workers in the Vineyard where everyone gets the same pay for very different amounts of work that sometimes make us shake our heads and wonder. The parables often speak of things we just don't have any experience with such as sowing seed, taking care of sheep, pruning vines, etc. Yes, those who live on farms understand, but those of us who are city-dwellers don't. However, we are meant to pay attention to the underlining truths. We learn from the sower, that we need to prepare our hearts to welcome God's word and continue to nurture it if we are to grow in our faith. From the workers, God is generous and sometimes we ...
