Today’s reading is 1 John 4:1-5:21.

“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20).

God has provided me a litmus test. I know that He works everything out for good for those who love Him. How do I know if I love Him? This text says I look to the way I relate to His children around me.

If I hate people, I don’t love God. I simply cannot. But beyond that, if I view the brethren around me as folks who are here for my benefit, to use, abuse, dominate, then I don’t love them. And I don’t love God. If I am constantly working to prove I am better than all those people around me, then I don’t love them. And I don’t love God. If I view others as my servants, put here for my good pleasure, to stand on, walk on, and simply see what I can get from them, I don’t love them. And I don’t love God.

I need to take a good long look at how I really view the brethren I have seen. It will help me understand how I view my God whom I have not seen. That will show me where I still need work and God’s grace.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Matthew 21:1-22:46.

“And he said to them, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37-39).

This is all I have to do today. Love God. Love my neighbor. No doubt, to understand this love I need to get into God’s word and learn how. But when I boil it down to brass tacks, this is what I need to do today. Everything else is unnecessary. I don’t have to buy things. I don’t have to go places. I don’t have to accomplish tasks. I just need to give myself to God and pursue the actions of love.

If I keep it this simple, I can probably do better at it.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is 1 Thessalonians 3:1-4:18.

“…and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13).

Here is the struggle. I want to love others, but they have hurt me. I want to love others, but they do wrong. I want to love others, but the fact is most of us are so unlovable. What do we do about that? We recognize that the kind of love we need to have for each other is the kind of love God has for us. We recognize that the strength for that kind of love can only come from the One who already has that kind of love.

If I am filled with God’s love, then His love will spill out into my relationship with others. I need to pray that God will fill me with His love today. I need to pray that God will strengthen me to love as He does today. And notice why. This text says it is through loving others God’s way that my heart is established as blameless in holiness. My heart is not established a blameless in holiness simply because I can declare and follow a pattern regarding the work of the church. My heart is established when the love of God flows from my life toward others just as He has loved me.

That is a tall order. It can only be done by the strength of God.

Father, grant me the strength to love today. Let me love others as you have loved me. Fill me with your love and love others through me. Thank you for your love. I love you.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS: What struck you in today’s reading?