Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- April 6, 2013
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34–35).
Love is irresistible for those in search of a Savior. Everyone whose heart aches for authentic relationship will take notice when seeing Christians love one another. Parents who encourage and build up their sons and daughters are a magnet to their children’s friends who live lonely lives in discouraging and disruptive home environments.
Have you thought of your home as a sanctuary for seeking souls? Every time a neighbor drops by, a friend stays overnight, or you host a party for your child’s team, you have an opportunity to model the love of Jesus toward those you know and to those whom you meet for the first time. Leverage love for the Lord, and He will draw people to Himself.
“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality” (Romans 12:13).
Being a disciple of Jesus does have its benefits, and being loved is close to the top. When you placed your faith in Christ, you became a giver and receiver of Christian love. So do not resist the righteous care that Christ followers extend on your behalf. Be glad you model the love of God’s children that can melt the hearts of outside observers. “Why,” they ask, “do people give so much, expecting nothing in return?”
How do you intentionally love your brothers and sisters in Christ? Do you share relationships, money, your vacation home, your primary residence, or your car? It may be showing up during a health issue, praying for a job interview, babysitting their little one, or mowing their grass. Unbelievers take notice when believers lavishly love each other.
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13).
Our capacity to love is limited only by the Lord’s capacity to love us, to love in us, and to love through us. His love removes our insensitive heart and replaces it with sensitivity. The Almighty’s agape love arranges our priorities around the needs of others first and ours second. His love first comforts pain in people waiting for the appropriate time to administer truth. This level of unconditional love is a conduit for the lost to know Christ.
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:11–12).
Prayer: Am I receiving God’s love? Whom do I know who needs my unselfish love and attention?
Related Readings: 2 Corinthians 13:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 3 John 1:7-8
Taken from the April 6th reading in the 365-day devotional book, “Seeking Daily the Heart of God” volume 2… … http://bit.ly/Tv6y9a
Post/Tweet: Our love first comforts pain in people,waiting for the appropriate time to administer truth. #lovingevangelism
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I am not surprised one bit about today’s devotional that was waiting for me today. I feel extremely sad deep in my spirit today because i arrived at the “Very Painful Realization” that i now must walk away, and possibly wash my hands altogether of someone that i care “Very Much” about. I ‘Truly” believe that there is a “Higher Purpose” attached to my path and the person that i’m referring to who will remain anonymous. I work with this person and have done so for nearly 6 months. Although i care for her very much, there is no romantic involvement between us. She is married with at least 2 kids and next month she will be celebrating her 25th wedding anniversary to the man that she told me is “Her Soulmate.” I have nothing but respect and admiration for this person because she is one of the most caring, talented, and hardworking people that i have had the pleasure to work with. I know that she is catholic because she told me so. I was planning to ask her today if she has accepted Jesus into her life as her savior, but as fate would have it, i didn’t get the opportunity. I am now going to “Fast Forward.” Right now it is “Crystal Clear” to me that this person that i care about so much is under “Heavy Attack” by the enemy and demonic spirits, some of which, in my opinion, are actually “Malevolent” in nature. I have been praying for her and her family now for about a month. There have been some events that have unfolded during that period that now lead me to believe strongly that she is in spiritual danger. I have been down this road in the past with another person that i knew a few years ago and unfortunately the MO is very similar. Sadly, the outcome was tragic and very sudden. That’s what concerns me the most about this person. I’m praying to God that the outcome won’t be the same. 3 years ago before i left New York and moved back to California, there was a man that i knew who was my regular taxi driver. I was making my push to share the Gospel with him because i knew that he wasn’t saved. Just days later, after not seeing him, i was approached by one of his business associates and told that he was found dead in is room at home in a pool of his own blood. Right after he told me that, my heart hit the ground and shortly after that, what seemed like “An Ocean Of Tears” started gushing out of my eyes uncontrollably. I then heard a voice that said to me “Now You Know Just How Serious This Is.” It was at that moment that the very powerful realization that i might very well have been the last person that God had assigned to try and share the Gospel with this man and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I asked the guy who gave me the news to please give me the address and contact information for his family so that i could go and pay my respects at his funeral, and days later the word came back to me that there would be no funeral and that the body would be cremated. The person that i’m working with is under attack “Heavily” in the area of her health. She smokes cigarettes and has for quite some time, has told me that she has been accident prone throughout her life, and since i’ve been working with her nearly broke her arm in between a metal door, was seriously burned by hot food that spilled on her from above, and recently has been going to the doctor because of the serious stomach problems that she has which sound “Ulcerlike” to me. In addition to that, this past Monday i was scheduled to pray over her before we started work. I approached her about that 3 days before and when Monday morning arrived and i showed up ready to do it, the very first thing that came out of her mouth was that she was sick when i asked her how was her weekend and how she was feeling. She chose to bypass what we talked about and dive right into work. After she made her decision a very bad feeling came over me and the next day after i had left work and told her that i would see her in the morning, news came to my ears that she was injured a few hours after i left and had to be rushed to the hospital because she was burned by scalding hot liquid that was in one of the big vats that we use to cook large portions of food. Right after that i was told that she then slipped on the hard concrete floor to make matters worse. She wasn’t seriously injured, but i could see clearly that the enemy has her in his “Crosshairs.” I’ve been praying for her and asking friends of mine to pray for her. this morning was the first time that i saw her since the accident on Tuesday and i’m “Very Concerned” about what i saw. the moment i saw her, there was a look in her eyes that i’ve never seen before since i’ve known her. I came face to face with the look of “Fear” in someone’s eyes for the first time in a long time and it really hurts because now i “Officially” feel helpless to do anything to help her other than pray to God for her protection. I had planned to say a few things to her today in private today as well as directly express my sympathy about what happened to her, but the person that showed up today was not the person that i know and basically said nothing to me during my shift which is absolutely out of character for her; so much so that she wouldn’t even acknowledge that the incident even happened. I left work this morning feeling like “I Lost Her” and that i won’t get a chance to share with her what “She Knows” i’m interested in sharing with her. I’m only going to working with her for another month or so and after that i won’t be working there anymore. I don’t feel like God’s “Divine Purpose” has been fulfilled yet concerning both our paths intersecting where i work. Maybe i’m wrong! If i’m right, i feel like it’s going to require a “Miracle” from God because the opposition that i’m facing just to be able to talk to her now is just so overwhelming. I would like to have as many people as possible praying for her and if you read this and are moved to do so PLEASE
(Continued) contact me at d-davis1947@live.com and i will give you her name so that we can all “Lift Her Up” in prayer so that God’s Divine Purpose can be fulfilled in her life, and that i can fulfill my mission in her case if i haven’t already done so. Thank You All and God bless You!
Proverbs 3:27