Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 116:1-6
Ps 116:1-6
1 I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. 2 Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. 3 The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. 4 Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, save me!" 5 The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. 6 The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.
John 15:9-14
9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
We often talk of the love of God and that God is love. We love and quote John 3:16 to show the extent of God’s love for all mankind. But everything Jesus did was from the motive of love. He came to this world because he loves us enough to give up the glories of heaven to carry out the mission of our salvation. He told his disciples that no one was taking his life from him but that he was giving it of his own will. He also said his will was to do the will of God in all things.
Jesus showed his love by his obedience to the Father. He commands that we show our love for him and for the Father by our obedience also. John tells us that love is perfected in us when we do the will of God. The way that Jesus did the will of God on all occasions was that he knew his will perfectly. So with his mindset to do it and his knowledge of it, God’s will was carried out in his life.
For us to do the will of God in our lives we must make the commitment to do it, giving up our own will for his. We also must know the will of God in order to be able to do it. While by his nature Jesus knew the will of the Father, we must study and learn it from the Scriptures. This requires time and effort coupled with prayer and the wisdom from above. When we love God, we love each other too.
Heavenly Father your love leads me to love and love gives me peace and joy that the world cannot know. Fill me with you Spirit so I will become more like you each day. Give me wisdom to understand the things I read and study in your word. Use me to teach your will by my example as well in the words I speak. I thank you for my physical health and the material things I enjoy every day. Thank you for the many fellow Christians you have put in my life and for the encouragement they give me. I praise you and your majestic name! In the name of Jesus I pray.
Robert
