Jesus gave us a new commandment; that we are to love one another, and we are not simply to love them as one man loves another, but with a divine love, an agape love. Jesus tells us this when He says “just as I have loved you.” Are we capable of this? We know that this is how we love God, and how He loves us, but can we step into His shoes and love another human being as we are loved by Him? Can we step out of our world and love each other in an entirely new and wonderful way?
Do we say that we love the Lord our God, and His Son Jesus Christ? Do we speak of our faith, and of loving others, and feel righteous because of it? Do we know and profess the commandments of God, and Jesus? Well saying these things, and knowing these things, is not enough, because we will be judged by the deeds in love, and faith that we perform, and the truth that is made evident by these, our actions. Are we simply sayers of love, and faith, or doers?
It is far easier to love God who always loves us so perfectly, and who is good to us in every way, than it is to love those around us. Are we able to love one another as He loves us? Can we accept the world’s fallen creatures that we call brothers and sisters, and love them enough that we will get into the cesspool of life, hold them to us, and honestly care about their wellbeing and salvation? Can we look past their imperfection, and ignore the stench of sin on them as we not only forgive them from afar, but embrace them, and lead them step by step into a righteous relationship with God? Can we love each other as Jesus is loves us?
Three times in short succession the Apostle John records the words of Jesus as He tells us what it means to love Him, and what He will do for us if we truly obey His commandments. There are other biblical references to loving God, and Jesus Christ, but these three references promise us that the Holy Spirit will be given to us, Jesus will manifest Himself in us, and that God will allow us to come to Him, and make our home with Him… all of these incredible blessings if we will love Jesus, and obey His commandments. Do we love Him in this way? Are we obedient as we should be?
When we are in prayer, and asking for something in the name of Jesus, how do we feel at that moment, what are we asking for, and are we asking so that we will bear more fruit for Him? Is what we are asking for in the name of Jesus meant to glorify God? So often our prayers are selfish in nature, and meant to do nothing more than satisfy our own immediate wants, but are our wants aligned with God’s wants; with His will, and His desire?
As Christians we have sworn ourselves to Jesus, and we have picked up our cross to follow Him. We pray as He has taught us, and love Our Father alongside Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, so why is it that when we seek Him in prayer that we sometimes feel like we hear our words returning to us as an echo that has been offered up into a hollow and cavernous room? Our prayers reflect where our heart is, it is also true that when our mind wanders we can’t find God, and in those times our soul wanders, and isn’t listening for His voice, but to the world that has captured us… even if for that instant.
Have we set a certain hour, or hours, of prayer aside for ourselves each day? Of course we are told to pray throughout the day without ceasing, but have we designated special times of prayer when we can be alone with God, and speak with Him quietly, secretly, and without interruption? Many Christian denominations have designated certain times as being times of prayer, and the Bible refers to 3:00 in the afternoon as such an hour for the apostles, but are there times that are more suitable for you; times when God doesn’t compete for your attention?
If we want our relationship with the Lord to become more than just a casual one in which we make an appointment with him once each morning, or evening, then we must pray without ceasing. If we want to feel His presence at all times then we need to be in constant conversation with Him. If we want to call Him Father, then we should recognize Jesus as our Savior, and Brother, but we should also engage them both in unending, and sometimes casual, chatter as every good family does. How openly, and lovingly, do we approach our Heavenly Father?
Is there a particular sin or temptation that you struggle with, and that sometimes makes you feel helpless? Do you feel weak in its presence, and each time you think that you have finally conquered it, it rises up to knock you down again? Well, as Christians we are not meant to ride a rollercoaster of sin, forgiveness, grace, and then sin again. No, In Christ we have received His complete dominance over all sin, if we will only claim it by faith. As Christians we know that sin is always waiting in the wings, but if we focus on Christ and the abundant grace He provides us, then our peripheral vision will narrow with each passing day until at last we will be free of temptation, and see our sin no more.
Do we wrestle with God when we are alone in our prayer closets? Do we realize that we are coming face to face spiritually with Him in that place, or do our prayers seem to be purely physical… a mental exercise of our body and mind? We, like Jacob, can wrestle with what we see and touch, only to realize when it is too late, and the sun has risen, that our match was with God Himself, and not with man… our mental perception of God. At that moment we humble ourselves, and He blesses us with a new name, and we honor that place by calling it “God strives”.
This morning I want to talk about praying in the night. We all experience those nights when we can’t sleep and all of our problems and fears come bubbling to the surface where our mind just can’t let them go and our spirit tosses and turns within us. Last night the Lord woke me from a deep sleep, and placed a burden on my heart for someone who will read this devotional; someone who is experiencing such a night… then He asked me to speak to them from my heart to theirs.
We are meant to deliver the gospel of Jesus to all those who have not heard, and in this way we are snatching them from the fire of damnation, but are we afraid of those who don’t know Him? Do the very clothes they wear, and the lives they lead, cause us to recoil, and fall short of God’s Will for us? We are told to be afraid as we show them mercy, but only in that we do not become stained by their iniquities; we are to remain secure in our faith. Our fear should not diminish our mission, or stop us from obeying the will of God in this… in delivering His mercy.
As Christians there is a very critical question we should ask ourselves, and how we answer it can very well determine the future of our souls. We should ask: “How do I chose my friends?”. Of all those who surround us as we wander the earth, who are those that we find worthy to be called our friends? The Bible speaks a great deal about friends and friendship, and this is for good reason… whether in good or bad behavior, we begin to reflect them, and they to reflect us.
Have we received our invitation to the wedding supper of Jesus Christ to His bride? Each day we are given an opportunity to know the bride and groom better so that we will be invited, but have we taken full advantage of our time, and come to know them intimately? Or, are we simply hoping to be guests at the wedding? I pray that we have given our hearts to Jesus and been adopted into the family of God… thus being seated with the family.
Today is Sunday, and to most of the Christian world it is considered the Sabbath, but to Jews, and some Christians, the Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday, and lasts until sundown on Saturday. Regardless of which way we honor it, this is a Holy day of rest, and sanctified as such by God. This is the only day of the week that God treats special, and that He has singled out in the commandments He gave Moses. So why then do so many of us routinely ignore this commandment, and how do we obey?