Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
December 4, 2024
1 John 3:16-24
16 This is how we know love: Jesus laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 But if someone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but refuses to help—how can the love of God dwell in a person like that? 18 Little children, let’s not love with words or speech but with action and truth. 19 This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and reassure our hearts in God’s presence. 20 Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows all things. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence in relationship to God. 22 We receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 This is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love each other as he commanded us. 24 Those who keep his commandments dwell in God and God dwells in them. This is how we know that he dwells in us, because of the Spirit he has given us.
Good Morning! Love one another!
18 Little children, let’s not love with words or speech but with action and truth.
These words are the essential elements of God’s command to love one another. It’s easy to say the right thing, especially when speaking directly to the person, but doing the right thing can be very difficult. We’ve all heard someone say, “Do as I say, not as I do.”
One of the challenges in today’s world is the ease of speaking to someone virtually. We have text messages, email, and social media platforms through which much of our daily communication happens. It is painless to say hurtful things within this faceless exchange of words. Whether you intentionally or accidentally hurt someone, you don’t see the face of the one you hurt. It’s easy to be brazen or loose with your words when there is this immense barrier in cyberspace between you and the one to whom you speak.
God’s message has been, is, and will always be simple. Love one another, my little children. Love is the answer to all of the hate and violence in this world. Love is the power that transforms the world.
Dear Lord, We are your children! Love! We love you because you first loved us. Help us to show that love to all we meet. Praise be to God! Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: When you don’t know what to do, show love!
Love is the answer to every problem! Pastor Liz
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