Devotions
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Day 4: Love Love is one of those words we throw around quite loosely, isn’t it? We love hot dogs, we love our families, and we love God. What is interesting to me is that God has called us to live our lives according to this word. We are called to love God with all our hearts but also to love our neighbors. How can we do that? How do we love people who are difficult to love? They drive you crazy, and they don’t listen. Yet, when we think of Jesus, we see someone who loved even those who killed Him. That makes loving our neighbors a little easier, doesn’t it? We have pretty much all seen this passage at some point. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.” Notice how each of the positive things in that list describe God. For example, God is patient, God is kind, always protects, etc. You and I, however, look more like the negative things on that list. We envy, boast, are proud, dishonor others, etc. If we are called to love, as God loves, we need to see ourselves the same. Now read this passage below and place YOUR NAME in the blanks while you read it: _________ is patient, __________ is kind. __________ does not envy, __________ does not boast, __________ is not proud. ____________ does not dishonor others, ___________ is not self-seeking, ________ is not easily angered, ____________ keeps no record of wrongs. __________ does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ___________ always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ___________ never fails. I know when I put my name in there; it does not really describe me perfectly. By ourselves, we are not perfect in love. But God is! We cannot love others the way He loves us until we recognize we need Him in our lives. We are not those things above, but God is because God is love. 1 John 4:19 “We love each other because he loved us first.” Have you ever really thought about this? Have you ever really reflected on God’s love for you? Can we really live and love the way God loves us? These are some great questions to think about today. Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, please give me a heart like yours—a heart that loves others as you love. Help me to show love to everyone I meet today. Amen.
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AuthorNotes from the Staff @The Woods Archives
March 2023
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