Today, Father, was full of running – a lot got done, but more is yet to be done. May I focus on what is important to You tonight. Amen.
1 John 5:1-5 (<<click here to read the passage)
Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. v3 NLT
One thing that we, as human beings struggle with is abiding by rules and regulations, Lord. A “wet paint” sign in our brain translates to “touch me”. From the very beginning of time we have listened to the serpent whispering in our ear, “Did God really say…?” (Genesis 3:1) And we just fill in the blank. Abiding by the “do’s and don’ts” makes us bristle.
Many times – and repeatedly in my prayers – I refer to the top two commandments according to You, Lord. Loving You and loving others. (Mark 12:30-31) In Matthew’s recording of this incident, in the very last verse, You stated,
“The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:40 NLT
All the “do’s and don’ts” boil down to …love. And we love love…right? We are sure obsessed with it. “What the world needs now is love, sweet love” – to quote an old song. But to quote another old song, “What’s love got to do, go to do with it?”
Where the problem lies is that the world’s love is shallow and short-lived. It’s selective. It’s limited. It’s conditional. And quite often it’s just plain selfish.
But Your love? It is deep (and wide!) and it is eternal! It is inclusive. It is unlimited! It is unconditional! And by Your own example, it is not selfish, but it is sacrificial.
Lord, may I take upon the mantle of Your love. May I live it out. May I give it out – liberally! To all who will receive…and even those who won’t. Amen.
(May 17th, 2017, Wed, 7:21 am)
June 1st, 2023, Thurs, 7:39 pm
