Commanded to Love

What is your first thought when someone says they love you? Do you immediately think of the emotional love between couples? How often do you tell others you love them? How do you show that you love them? Is it emotional love or something much deeper?

Many of us think of love as an emotional love. Though that is the version of love that brings couples together initially, it is not the lasting love that keeps relationships together. Nor is it the love that Jesus speaks of when He tells us we are to love one another.

In Christian circles, we often call the love Jesus references “unconditional love.” Though it is, I wonder if we have heard it so often that we no longer understand what it means. Perhaps it has become a rote saying, one that we state without thinking. Might I suggest we think about it a bit deeper. Rather than simply stating the learned answer, let’s attempt to define it more completely.

The love Jesus speaks of is unconditional, but it is also a committed love. It is based on a decision we make. In other words, we decide to love someone regardless of what they may do or say, which makes it unconditional. We do not seek some return on the love we show to them. Instead, we seek to demonstrate the love of Jesus.

Demonstrating that love is another part of the equation. A committed love is not based on words nor solely spoken of. It requires action. We must demonstrate our love for others by doing. That action may take the form of helping, providing for, or praying for others. The love Jesus spoke of is demonstrated in both word and deed.

I pray we all decide to love one another. I pray we commit to love unconditionally, just as Jesus did. I pray each one of us will demonstrate our love for one another in word and in deed. Love one another. Love unconditionally. Put your love in action. Demonstrate your love.

John 13:34 “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”

Glory In Betrayal

How would you react if you knew you were about to be betrayed? Would you be joyful about it? Or would you be planning a vengeful counterstrike? Would you look forward to it. Or would you cringe in anticipation of the fall out? Jesus reacted in an unexpected way.

Being betrayed into the hands of those who want to harm us can cause fear and anxiety. It can be especially upsetting if we have done nothing to deserve the harm nor the betrayal. If you have ever been betrayed in this way, you know the pain that comes with it.

Jesus was betrayed in just this way. Just prior to this passage, Judas has left to go betray Jesus. He is about to lead the soldiers to capture Jesus so He can be turned over to the Jewish leadership who will condemn Him to death. Yet, look at Jesus’ response. He states that He has been glorified and God has been glorified in Him.

Jesus, rather than mourning over the betrayal, states that He will be glorified in God. He knows it will happen within the next few hours. He knows He is about to face excruciating pain. Yet, He is speaking of God’s glory. Jesus will soon ask the Father to remove this suffering from Him, but He will submit to the Father’s will. Jesus is focused on glorifying God rather than satisfying His human desires.

We may never be betrayed to such a painful death as Jesus was. It is likely we will be betrayed by someone in some way, even if small, during our lifetimes. If we are betrayed because of our faith in Jesus, we should glorify God. Not only has Jesus set this example for us, but so have the apostles and many other Christians before us.

I pray we all know that Jesus focused on glorifying God. I pray we see His example and choose to follow it. I pray each one of us will use even the smallest of betrayals to glorify God. Focus on glorifying God. Follow Jesus’ example. Hold on to your faith.

John 13:31-32 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.”

Do God’s Will

As we continue from yesterday, we remember that Peter had been criticized by some Jewish Christians in Jerusalem for taking the gospel to the gentiles. As Peter explained the vision God had given him, then the visit by three men who asked Peter to go to Caesarea, minds began to change.

Peter did not get angry, nor did he retaliate. Peter merely began to explain why he had taken the gospel to the gentiles. During his explanation, he even showed them that he had felt the same way they had. He had declined the “unclean” before God, just as the Jewish Christians would have.

But God showed Peter that nothing was unclean that God had made. Therefore, when the men came knocking on Peter’s door and requested him to go to Caesarea, he could find no good reason for not going. God had showed him that he needed to change his views of the gentiles. As Peter spoke to them about Jesus, telling them all that He had done, the Holy Spirit came upon them. This solidified for Peter that he had done the right thing and convinced the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem of it, too.

First, this is good news for us. If God had not decided that everything he had made is clean, we would still be on the outside. Second, we should learn from this that God’s way is often much different than our way. We must be like Peter and be willing to go where God is calling us to go. We must be willing to help people we may not want to from our human perspective, because every person is important to and loved by God.

I pray we all thank God he chose to include us in his salvation. I pray we know that God loves every person he has created. I pray each one of us are willing to do what God is calling us to do. Thank God for loving you. Know that God loves everyone. Do what God is calling you to do.

Acts 11:15-17 “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?”

Composure When Criticized

Have you experienced criticism? Have you been unduly criticized for doing something you knew to be right? How did you feel? Were you able to defend yourself? Were you able to convince those who criticized you that you were right in doing what you did?

Being criticized by others can make us feel small, inadequate, and unappreciated. However, when we are certain we are right, it can make us feel frustrated, angry, and even vengeful. We may want to strike back, proving we were right by whatever means possible.

The Apostle Peter was criticized for doing what God had told him to do. The Jewish Christians in Jerusalem asked him, in our modern language, “What were you thinking?” Their perspective was that God was only the God of the Jews. That meant that Jesus came only for the Jews as well. They thought the mission was to convince all Jews to accept Jesus as their Messiah.

Peter had spent three years with Jesus. He knew what Jesus had taught and the mission He had sent the disciples on. Peter also had received a vision from God. He had properly interpreted the vision with the help of the Holy Spirit, which he had received at Pentecost. Peter knew exactly what he had to do when three men came knocking on his door.

But Peter did not get angry at those who were critical of him. Rather than being angry, Peter patiently explained what happened. He described his vision. He even pointed out his own initial perspective concerning the eating of unclean foods in the vision. He explained that he had also once thought the way the other Jewish Christians had thought.

We will finish this story in tomorrow’s devotional.

I pray we all stay calm when we are criticized. I pray we stand our ground when we know we are right. I pray each one of us will patiently explain how God is working in our lives. Stay calm. Do not be angry. Stand on God’s Word. Be patient with others. Explain how God is working.

Acts 11:1-3 Now the apostles and the brothers and sisters who were in Judea heard that the gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?”

Praise the Creator

Who deserves our praise? Who do we honor? Who do we put on a pedestal? Who do we hang medals around their neck? Who do we award with trophies and plaques? Who do we sing the praises of? Who do we praise for their accomplishments? Who should we praise?

We honor and praise many different people for many different reasons. We are amazed at performances in athletics and music. Our minds are blown away by accomplishments in science. We award people for their accomplishments, both big and small.

But we should praise God for all his creation. He not only created us but everything we see and experience. The Psalmist in chapter 148 provides a list of things that should praise God. He includes, angels, sun, moon, stars, the heavens, the earth, fish, hail, snow, frost, wind, mountains, hills, trees, animals, birds, kings, and all people.

God deserves our praise. Even the list the Psalmist lists is incomplete, even as extensive and general as it is. Saying God created everything is true, but it is so general that we often overlook it. It is not until we take time to think about each little flower, each insect, each bird in our yard, each squirrel that climbs a tree that we begin to get a glimpse of God’s amazing creation.

If for no other reason, we should praise God for all his creation. But when we make a little more personal, we should praise him for the intricate creation of our bodies. God created each piece of our body so that we can walk, talk, pick up and carry, eat, drink, and think. Our very own body is an amazing creation. Therefore, praise God for having created you.

I pray we all open our eyes to see God’s amazing creation. I pray we blown away by what God has created. I pray each one of us praise God for how he amazingly created our very own bodies. See God’s creation. Be awed by creation. Praise God for creating you. Praise God for all creation.

Psalm 148:5

Let them praise the name of the Lord, 

for he commanded and they were created.

Creation and Creator

Have you ever thought about how everything got its beginning? How was the earth created? How were the stars and other planets created? How are ideas created? How do thoughts come to mind? Do you know there are answers? Do you want to know them?

If we take a few moments to think about how the earth was created, we will likely be baffled by enormity of the task. Wrapping our minds around what it would take to create matter from nothing is simply mind blowing. But even if we start with rock and soil, the task is still too big to comprehend.

If we ponder how our thoughts come to us, we start explaining how the various parts of our brains store information. We may speak of neurons firing, sending electrical signals. We may be able to explain a process by which these electrical signals are translated into words. But when we dive deeper and try to explain how the brain was initially created, we fall short.

When we start thinking about how everything was created, we quickly find we do not have the capacity to comprehend it. But God tells us he created it all. When he says he is the beginning and the end, he is telling us that he has always existed and will always exist. Again, this is a concept we cannot fully understand. In this life, we know things have a beginning and an end. Each person, as far as we can explain, starts with conception and ends when they take their last breath. But God does not live by our timeline. He is eternal.

I pray we all take time to ponder creation. I pray we are in awe by all that God has created. I pray each one of us understand that we may be finite in this life, but God is infinite. Ponder God’s creation. Be awed by God’s creation. Know that God is infinite. Know that God is creator of all things.

Revelation 21:6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.”

All Things New

What do you think eternity will be like? Do you have the false belief that eternity is spent in heaven? Or do you realize there will be a new earth and a new heaven? Do you know there will be a new Jerusalem where God will be among his people?

Many have foretold the end of the world. Yet, all of them to this point have been wrong. There are also many who are wrong about where we will spend eternity. Many believe we spend eternity in heaven. Yet, that is not what we read in God’s Word.

John tells us in his revelation there will be a new earth and a new heaven. Though he does not explicitly state the current earth and heaven will be restored. He states there will be a new heaven and earth. This may very well mean the current earth and heaven is renewed, made new, and becomes what God originally intended it to be.

John also states there will be a new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven. God will be in the new Jerusalem. He will come to live among his people. All the nations will come to worship God in the holy city.

Finally, John states the sea will be no more. There will be no more threat of world flooding. There will be no more threat of destruction. And all of this has been foretold in multiple places throughout the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments.

I pray we will look forward to eternity spent with God. I pray we know there will be a new earth and new heaven. I pray each one of us look forward to worshiping God in the new Jerusalem. Spend eternity with God. There will be a new earth and heaven. There will be a new Jerusalem.

Revelation 21:1-2 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Trials Increase Faith

Have you felt you were forgotten? Have you felt as though you were purposely left out? Have you felt abandoned? Did people you thought you could count on turn their back on you? Have you thought that God no longer cared for you?

Feeling abandoned is difficult for us. We may have people close to us turn away and leave us. We may think there is no one who cares. We can get depressed and feel helpless due to these thoughts. Yet, God has not turned his back on us, but will never leave us.

Naomi thought she had been cursed. She thought she had been abandoned by God. She had fled with her husband from a famine. He later died. Her two sons, who were sustaining her, died. She decided to return to Bethlehem in her despair. She encouraged her two daughters-in-law to stay with their families. Ruth refused and traveled with Naomi to Bethlehem.

Naomi would realize later that God had not abandoned her. Instead, God had used her situation, dire as it may have been, to bless her in a magnificent way. She is the grandmother of Obed, who is the grandfather of David, the greatest king of Israel. Naomi is the mother-in-law to Ruth, who gave birth to continue the lineage that would ultimately result in Jesus coming to earth.

No matter how dire our circumstances, God has not abandoned us. He is still at work and will bless us. We are to continue in our faith, trusting God has something greater in mind for us. After all, it is often in the trials of life that we grow the most. So face those trials with 

confidence that growth is coming as well as God’s blessing.

I pray we all trust God is always working. I pray we face our trials with confidence, seeking growth. I pray each one of us hold onto our faith during times of trial, believing our faith will be strengthened. Trust God is working. Gain confidence during trials. Seek growth. Hold onto your faith.

Ruth 4:16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom and became his nurse.

None Are Lost

Have you ever felt as though you were adrift? Have felt untethered, like boat bobbing on the water? Are you feeling that way now? Are you seeking to set your feet on solid ground? Do you desire to hear positive news? Will you listen, if you are given the best news of all?

There can be times in our lives when we feel like we have no anchor, there is nothing solid for us to hold on to. Those are troubling times. Our minds wander. We feel unstable. We may even think we will never be stable again. But we simply need to remember the best news of all.

Jesus tells us that no can be snatched from the hand of the Father. Therefore, if we have committed our lives to Jesus, we will always be held by the Father. Those feelings we have are false feelings Satan is using to attempt to pull us away. Yet, Jesus says he cannot. The strong and comforting hands of the Father will continue to hold us.

Here is the other amazing thing Jesus says, He and the Father are one. We may be able fully grasp that, but we can believe it to be true. Why? When we look at Scripture, everything else Jesus said was true. His witness has proven true over and over again. So, even if we do not understand how two (or three) can be one, we can trust that Jesus spoke the truth.

Being in Jesus is the same as being in the Father. Being in God is being in the most stable place we can be. Even during times of unease, we can trust God is working. We may not see him working. We may not feel him working. It may be some time before he reveals the work he has been doing. Yet, we can trust that it will all work out to our good.

I pray we all choose to be in Jesus. I pray we trust that Jesus and the Father are one. I pray each one of us knows that God is always working on our behalf and continue to hold on to him. Choose Jesus. Trust Jesus. Know Jesus and the Father are one. Know God is working. Hold on to God.

John 10:29-30 “My Father, in regard to what he has given me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

Listen Well

Have you experienced people not listening you? Have you told them something of importance and they pay no attention? Have you ever had someone say something to you and you did not listen? What were the repercussions for not listening? Were they significant?

We, as humans, often have a bad habit of not listening, especially if it is not the news we want to hear. Someone speaks a truth to us that we do not like, and we question them. We have done it to others. Others have done it to us. Yet, we know we should listen.

Parents can especially relate to having their children not listen to them. It seems as though from the time they are in their mid to late teens until they reach thirty years old, they go through a phase of thinking they know it all. That is when the parents realize what a pain they had been to their own parents and realize why they made some of the mistakes they made.

Jesus faced the Jewish leadership who were not listening to Him. Though He had not explicitly stated He was the Messiah, through His teachings, healings, and raising people from the dead, He had stated He was the Messiah. They simply did not want to nor were they listening. They certainly did not believe Him.

Perhaps we should evaluate how well we are listening to Jesus. We need to evaluate how well we are obeying Jesus. Otherwise, Jesus may say the same thing to us He said to the Jewish leadership. We need to realize that Jesus came to do the Father’s will and to testify about God’s plan for all of us. If we believe Jesus, we are His sheep.

I pray we all listen to Jesus. I pray obey Jesus. I pray each one of us will evaluate how well we listen and obey Jesus, choosing to follow Him and be one of His sheep. Listen to Jesus. Obey Jesus. Be a follower of Jesus. Be one of Jesus’ sheep.

John 10:24-26 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me, but you do not believe because you do not belong to my sheep.”