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.

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Wednesday, February 15, 2023
1 Peter 4:8
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Love is the glue that holds the body of Christ together. Peter urges believers to make true, selfless love the core of their thoughts and actions, reflecting the character of Jesus. Put aside your own selfish wants, forgive the flaws and shortcomings of the people God has placed in your life. You don’t need to dwell on the past, but rather, look forward towards the future with hope. Strive to bring comfort, peace, and joy to those around you every day, and love others as God loved you; especially those who are serving the Lord alongside you.

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Song of Solomon 8:7
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.

There’s something special about human relationships that can’t be traded for the world. Be it between best friends, close family or spouses, real love isn’t easily drowned out. So, while you’re here on earth, seek it out. Find someone that you can love and depend on, and who can love and depend on you, whether they’re just a friend or someone more. God didn’t design us to walk through life alone; even Jesus needed a band of close friends that He could rely on. Find those kinds of people to lean on in life, but never forget that the One who loves you like no one ever could, will always be with you.

Monday, February 13, 2023

Monday, February 13, 2023
1 Corinthians 13:13
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Christ and His love are the cornerstone of the gospel. God is the author of all good in life, and in a way He is love itself. He expressed love in its most pure, selfless, and passionate form on the cross, taking the place of our sins. Out of faith, hope and love, the greatest is love. It was love that held the Son of God on that cross, and when you experience and understand God’s love, it has the power to change your life. With the time the Lord has given you in life, love others as He loved you, and be a shining example of Christ to a lost and loveless world.