Category: Uncategorized

One-minute read.

Years ago, while on vacation in Florida, Ron and I went to a dog race.  Physically fit Greyhounds lined up at the starting line, chased after a fake bunny, running in circles around the oval track, pursuing their perceived reward, but not catching it.  Excitement swelled among the crowd as we watched the highly contested race, the winner crossing the finish line just inches ahead of his closest competitor.

In the same way, as we pursue righteousness and kindness, we have heavenly witnesses cheering us on to the finish line.  Unlike the Greyhounds, we will receive our reward by living in the Lord’s blessing and investing our treasure in heaven. Comparing Matthew 5:6 and 6:33, we learn that pursuing righteousness fills us with “life, prosperity, and honor.”

Think about the last time you did the right thing, whatever the situation.  Knowing we obeyed and followed God’s direction, despite the outcome, fills us with peace and contentment because we tapped into the Savior’s strength and did what He would have done.  Jesus works all things to the good for those who trust and believe in Him (Romans 8:28).

Get in the race today, pursue righteousness and kindness by following Jesus.  Whatever the situation, find out what Christ would do, and do that.  Love God and people with all your heart, soul, and mind, pursuing His will above all else, and enjoy an abundant life in Him.

Journal Question:

What comes to mind when you think of pursuing righteousness?

Random Act of Kindness:

What’s the next right thing you can do today for someone else?

One-minute read.

Love and faithfulness, the two covenant terms in Israel, describe their attitude towards the Lord.  We must first love God before we can obey Him faithfully.  And as we have talked about in previous days, we love because He first loved us.  When we ask the Savior to live in our hearts, Jesus engraves His name in our being and begins the process of transforming our lives, leading us to abundant living with Him.  Applying Christ’s teachings and becoming fully devoted followers of God’s Son will cause people to notice as we lead with love and kindness, seeing them through the lens of the Creator.

Learning and memorizing God’s word writes it on our hearts and binds it around our neck.  As we face life’s situations, we’ll respond differently because of the knowledge we possess.  Instead of letting our human tendencies dictate our actions, we’ll begin to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  Our emotions will take a back seat as our faith leads the way.  Faithfully with love, we will draw people to Jesus through our actions as we let His light shine brightly through us.

Living in the Lord’s favor opens doors we can’t open ourselves.  Blessings will rain from heaven as we align our hearts with God, follow His commands, and become more like Jesus with each day that passes.  We won’t achieve perfection until the Almighty calls us home, but we will experience an adventure like none other following Christ.

Journal Question:

How has Jesus imprinted Himself on your life?

Random Act of Kindness:

What’s one way you can show faithfulness to Jesus today?

One-minute read.

Paul explores the depth of Christ’s love for us in his letter to the Romans.  Jesus’s death on the cross came at the right time, after centuries of failing to keep the law; people didn’t need further testing to know they couldn’t achieve righteousness on their own.  And so the Savior came, dying on the cross, offering salvation to all who trust and believe in Him.

Volunteering at Vacation Bible School, “Trust Jesus,” garnered the stage, with white lights illuminating the gigantic letters that filled the small area.  Children of all ages gathered around the leader as he asked one question:

“What do you do when you feel powerless?”

“Trust Jesus!” the kids screamed at the top of their lungs.

We can’t overcome our sinful nature by ourselves.  We need the Savior’s grace and mercy to purify our hearts and gain right standing before the Lord.  Like the kids, when we feel powerless, we can trust Jesus to give us new life in Him, grounded in His love for us.  “Sinners” describes the human predicament, and Christ gives us the answer.  His death and resurrection opened a door to eternity with Him if we trust and believe.

Journal Question:

How has trusting Jesus changed your life?

Random Act of Kindness:

Who can you love first today, introducing someone to Jesus by loving like He did?

One-minute read.

Love originates with God; without Him, we can’t know, understand, or do it.  An explicit requirement of the Gospel, without love, we can do nothing.  Having the ability to love one another, no matter what their flaws, comes from the Lord.  If we didn’t have a relationship with the Savior, we couldn’t care for anyone else.  Our human desires conflict with the unconditional love the Almighty wants us to share with others.

Having friends over one weekend, I deep-cleaned the house while Ron prepared the food.  As I worked, I thought of my mother, who always made sure to dust the shelves and sweep the floors when receiving company.  As a child, I didn’t understand why she made the effort, but as I mopped and scrubbed my way through our home, I came to understand why.  She wanted her company to feel loved and welcomed in her home, and so do I.

Love takes action and requires us to put our own needs last, as we consider the needs of others.  Making people feel welcome and loved, whether in your home or elsewhere, provides them with a safe space to let their guard down and share their innermost thoughts.  Jesus did that for us on the cross. He gave us a refuge where we can lay down our burdens and receive the unconditional love of the Savior.

Journal Question:

How has God’s love transformed your life?

Random Act of Kindness:

How can you love one another today?

One-minute devotional

Some people love conflict and find ways to instigate it.  One friend comes to mind who has a way of saying things that incite arguments.  But strife does no good and accomplishes nothing.  Living a life led by love doesn’t rise to the bait, covering the offense and promoting peace in all things.

When the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus, He always responded with love.  The story of the adulterous woman in John 8:1-11 sets a good example of covering an offense.  Talking in front of a large crowd, the religious leaders drag a naked woman before Jesus for judgment.  Caught in bed with a man, the Jewish law stoned people caught in this situation.  However, Christ had a different response.

Kneeling, the Savior began writing in the dirt, no one knows precisely what.  But after a few minutes, He stood and said,  “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7).  Then Jesus knelt again and wrote on the ground.  Slowly, the Pharisees and the crowd slipped away until only the woman remained, whom Christ forgave, telling her to “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11).

Cover offenses with love, don’t allow other people’s ploys to manipulate your emotions.  Stay focused on the Savior and do all things with love.

Journal Question:

When has someone covered an offense for you with love, and how did it affect you?

Random Act of Kindness:

How can you lead with love today?

One-minute read.

Jesus’ disciple, John, summarizes the command to love one’s brother by first explaining divine love.  Originating from our heavenly Father, manifested through Jesus, love as defined by God should characterize the life of His children.  Christ’s followers should leave a legacy of love wherever they go, just as Jesus did.  We love because the Creator first loved us.

Loving others for the sake of the Savior requires a relationship with Jesus.  Only by understanding divine love can we share it with others.  The Lord invites us to care for others as He cares for us.  Sacrificially, with grace, Jesus came to Earth and set an example for us to follow.  As we get to know Christ better, it should reflect in our actions as we love Him and others.

When I first began my journey with Jesus, I didn’t fully understand divine love. As I developed a more intimate relationship with the Savior and learned about the greatest commandment, I realized that life revolves around love, and through it, we grow and mature, becoming more like Christ.

Accept the love God offers.  Seek to know Jesus better, learning about His divine affection for us, then sharing it with all you meet.  Lead with love and become a shining light for Christ in a dark world.

Journal Question:

How does understanding that God loves you first shift your perspective about love?

Random Act of Kindness:

How can you lead with love today?

One-minute read.

Experiencing God’s wonderous love will change your life, transforming it. Protecting us under His wing, no one will doubt the Lord’s presence in our lives as He carries us through the storms of life and helps us persevere. Jesus never said we wouldn’t have struggles in this life; He promised we would, but to take heart, He had overcome them (John 16:33). And our Creator promised never to leave nor forsake us when under siege from the enemy. We have the victory, but we still have to weather the storm.

“Well, I guess it’s a good way to go. I never knew him to be sick.”

At a recent women’s Bible study, one of the ladies shared the loss of a friend the day before. The elderly gentleman, unknown to me, passed away peacefully, sitting in his backyard while his wife napped inside. Now, in the arms of the Savior, he basks in the wondrous love of the Lord, his struggles gone. Our reward awaits us in heaven and gives us the hope to persevere through today’s heartaches.

Whatever issues you may face today, focus your thoughts on the Savior. Reflect on the ways He has loved you in the past, helping you overcome challenges you may have long forgotten. Keeping the Son in your eyes will help you maintain perspective and remind you that today’s troubles will pass and glory awaits you.

Journal Question:

How have you experienced God’s wonderous love when under attack from the enemy?

Random Act of Kindness:

Who can you lavish love on today and remind them that God has their back?

One-minute read.

Taking Ruby, our new puppy, to obedience classes, we met Milo and Gracie. The rolly polly English Setter cares little for training but has endless energy for playing with his newfound Boxer friend, Gracie. At the end of each class, all the puppies play together, but none quite as energetically as the exuberant pair that exudes love. Thinking about abounding love instantly brought these two new friends to mind, with no pretense, just joy, as they generously gave kisses and accepted belly rubs from whomever.

Dogs love well, forgive quickly, and anger slowly; they generously lavish affection on their people. God wants us to do the same for the people He places in our lives. Accepting the Lord’s forgiveness should motivate us to forgive others and extend to them the grace He showers upon us. Slow to anger and abounding in love, like puppies, we should approach life with an energetic spirit, sharing our gifts with others and loving them unconditionally for the sake of the Savior.

The more we tune into the Lord, the more love we will have to give. As we draw closer to the Almighty and allow His Spirit to guide and direct us, we will abound in love, leading with grace and compassion as we encounter the fallen humans of this world. Cling to the gifts of the Spirit and allow them to guide your path and help you love well.

Journal Question:

When you think of abounding love, what comes to mind?

Random Act of Kindness:

How can you abound in love today?

One-minute read.

Jesus gave the disciples a fresh “new commandment” to keep them focused on what truly matters: love.  Understanding the human condition, the Savior knew that rivalry would disrupt the fellowship of His followers.  By instructing them to love one another, it would create a bond that would help keep them united, as well as show their devotion to Him.  Christ loved without reservation or limit, and He expected the disciples to do the same.

As we become fully devoted followers of Christ, we must do so with love.  Hatred separates, but love unites.  Becoming an active participant in Jesus’ mission requires us to find ways to love everyone, regardless of their differences.  God didn’t call us to judge; He called us to love, a verb that requires His help to complete.

Only by partnering with the Almighty can we acquire the necessary tools to show affection for our fellow humans.  Through God’s divine intervention, we can pray for our enemies, weed our hearts of hate, and become known for our love.  Left to our own devices, we quickly find ourselves mired in selfishness and misery.  But when we do what Jesus did and love as He wants us to love, we will discover a fullness of life that we can find no other way.

Love people to the best of your ability by partnering with the Savior and following His lead.  You will never regret it, and find the joy of the Lord as you follow His command.

Journal Question:

Who in your life has demonstrated the love of Christ to you?

Random Act of Kindness:

How can you actively love one another today?

One-minute read.

Sacrifice expresses love, which requires community.  If we don’t have someone to love, we do not need to sacrifice.  Jesus came to Earth in human form as an act of love for His Father’s creation.  The Almighty gave us free will, the choice to accept His presence in our lives or reject it.  Without choice, we can’t love.  Christ chose to become one of us so that He could teach us unconditional love, setting an example that led to the cross and the ultimate sacrifice: laying down His life for ours.

At the time of this writing, a horrific flash flooding disaster in Texas fills the headlines.  Rapidly rising waters in the middle of the night caused destruction along the Guadalupe River as a 20 ft wall of water flowed downstream on the Fourth of July.  Amidst the tragic loss of life, stories of heroism began to surface as people sacrificed their lives to save the lives of others.  Love motivates us to action, and no greater love occurs than when someone lays down their life for another.

Daily life typically doesn’t require the ultimate sacrifice that people made in Texas.  But to love others well, we must learn to sacrifice our needs for theirs.  Finding ways to serve our neighbors helps us fulfill the Great Commandment and leaves the world in a better state than we found it.  Love God and others sacrificially and experience the joy that comes from other-centered living.

Journal Question:

How has someone sacrificially loved you?

Random Act of Kindness:

How can you sacrificially love someone today?