Thursday, February 23, 2023

Thursday, February 23, 2023
Exodus 23:4
If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him.

Christ commands us to be peacemakers for all people, regardless of their relationship with us. If you and I were only kind to those who behaved perfectly, who would we be to ask God for mercy? Your sins are innumerable, and yet when bad things happen, the Father is still there to lend a helping hand. In the same way, when you see an opportunity to help a neighbor in need, don’t leave them hanging. Be a living demonstration of Christ’s love, even when it’s difficult, and God will use you to move hearts and touch lives.

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Proverbs 3:29
Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you.

Trust is a precious, and sometimes very fragile. When someone trusts you, they are putting their faith in your word and in your character. Abusing that trust not only burns the bridge between you and that person, but it makes it harder for others to trust you in the future. God wants us to be people of integrity that can be relied on, both with small things and with big things. If you can be entrusted with a little, you can be entrusted with a lot. Be honorable and responsible with what trust you’ve been given and watch as that trust grows.

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Romans 15:2
Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

The tongue is a powerful tool, and using your words, you can make someone’s day or ruin it just as easily. Chances are you remember the discouraging things people have said to you perfectly, and sometimes find it harder to recall the good things. So be intentional with the things you say: encourage others, have a positive impact on their lives, and help them to grow in their faith. Let your words be ones that can be looked back on with a smile, as good advice, and faith-filled support from a friend. A hostile voice can degrade the soul, but a loving one builds others up.

Monday, February 20, 2023

Monday, February 20, 2023
Mark 12:31
The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.

The greatest commandment the Bible gives is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. But Jesus emphasized that, second to loving God, you and I are to love people. Your Creator has planned out all the days of your life, and has written countless characters into your story. Your family, friends, friends of friends, strangers you meet on the street, the cashier at the coffee shop; they’re all God’s children, and Christ wants you to love them like He does. Whether they’re people you like or don’t like, if they’re all important to God, they should be important to you too.

Friday, February 17, 2023

Friday, February 17, 2023
1 John 3:1
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Jesus assured His followers that they would have enemies in this world. When the Savior came to set us free from sin, humanity crucified Him. They didn’t recognize that Jesus was the Son of God, and there’s no guarantee that they will recognize you as a child of the Most High either. But nonetheless, you are called to be salt in a bland world, and light in a dark place. The world is your mission field, and God will give you opportunities to share the gospel and care for the lost wherever you go. See what kind of love the Father has given to us. How can we contain it?

Thursday, February 16, 2023

Thursday, February 16, 2023
1 John 4:12
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

The Maker of the world has no need for you or me. He’s God after all. But He demonstrated His tremendous love for you when He sent His Son to pay for your mistakes. After being shown that kind of love, how can you and I be content to sit on the sidelines? 1 John urges believers to love not just each other, but the lost, too. Each person, no matter who they are or what they’ve done, is unfathomably valuable to God. If you can love the sinner and the saved alike, God abides in you, and His love is expressed and perfected through you.