Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
March 15, 2023
Read 1 John 3:16-24
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
Good Morning, Blessed be the Holy name of God!
God is love: Love is from God! Every essence of our Christian life is founded in love. Without the love of God and the love of one another, we could not exist. Love is the spark for our batteries, and like a car with a dead battery, without love, we would sit unable to move.
John Lennon once complained to his songwriting partner, Paul McCartney, that all he wanted to do was write silly love songs. Paul answered him with a song:
You’d think that people would have had enough of silly love songs
But I look around me
And I see it isn’t so
Some people want to fill the world
With silly love songs
And what’s wrong with that?
I’d like to know
Cos here I go again
The chorus goes on with I love you, I love you, I love you . . . Nonbelievers might see Christians as those who follow a silly love song. What is this commandment to love of God and love our neighbors really about? How can this God, who we can’t see or touch, be the center of our lives, our everything? Doubters even ask us, “do you really believe that if you follow Christ, love God, and love your neighbors that you will have eternal life?”
I pray that you all answered with a resounding “YES”. God loves us, his unruly, undisciplined children! We know this because he sent his only son to save us from our own mess. Jesus came to the world to bear our sins and save us. All we have to do is answer yes and proclaim him as our Lord and Savior. Of course, we are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves. In other words, let’s sing those silly love songs as if our lives depend on them because we do depend upon the love and grace of God, our creator.
Sing, shout, and let your actions say: I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice. To worship you, Oh, my soul, rejoice! Take joy my King in what You hear. Let it be a sweet, sweet sound. In Your ear!
May all of our silly love songs be a sweet sound to God and a joyful sound to our souls.
Knowing God, Thank You for being with us. Thank you! We are sinners, and we make so many mistakes! Thank you for loving us despite our flaws. Thank You In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Share the love of God with all you meet!
Smile and sing love songs to God! Pastor Liz
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