Monday, February 27, 2023

Monday, February 27, 2023
James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Everything good comes from God, and there is no true “good” apart from Him. He is the Father of love, joy, and peace, and He desires only good things for His kids. In life you will face temptation, hardships, and pain, but God isn’t the root of your problem: sin and death is. We live in a fallen world, and bad things will happen; not because God wants tragedy, but because He can turn your worst trials into your greatest strengths. He is a good and perfect God, and one day, He will make everything good and perfect again. Until that day, though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, fear no evil, for He is with you.

Friday, February 24, 2023

Friday, February 24, 2023
John 15:12
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Before He was crucified, Jesus commanded His followers to love one another just as He had. What a tremendous task! Christ loved like no man ever did, laying down His life for the very people that nailed Him to the cross. Only one man ever had that kind of love; but the Word says that if you remain in Him, He will remain in you, and your life will look more like Christ all the time. Today, I pray that the Lord would help you to see everyone as a precious son or daughter of the Living God, and that He would inspire you to love them just as Christ loved you.

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Thursday, February 23, 2023
Exodus 23:4
If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him.

Christ commands us to be peacemakers for all people, regardless of their relationship with us. If you and I were only kind to those who behaved perfectly, who would we be to ask God for mercy? Your sins are innumerable, and yet when bad things happen, the Father is still there to lend a helping hand. In the same way, when you see an opportunity to help a neighbor in need, don’t leave them hanging. Be a living demonstration of Christ’s love, even when it’s difficult, and God will use you to move hearts and touch lives.

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Proverbs 3:29
Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you.

Trust is a precious, and sometimes very fragile. When someone trusts you, they are putting their faith in your word and in your character. Abusing that trust not only burns the bridge between you and that person, but it makes it harder for others to trust you in the future. God wants us to be people of integrity that can be relied on, both with small things and with big things. If you can be entrusted with a little, you can be entrusted with a lot. Be honorable and responsible with what trust you’ve been given and watch as that trust grows.

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Romans 15:2
Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

The tongue is a powerful tool, and using your words, you can make someone’s day or ruin it just as easily. Chances are you remember the discouraging things people have said to you perfectly, and sometimes find it harder to recall the good things. So be intentional with the things you say: encourage others, have a positive impact on their lives, and help them to grow in their faith. Let your words be ones that can be looked back on with a smile, as good advice, and faith-filled support from a friend. A hostile voice can degrade the soul, but a loving one builds others up.

Monday, February 20, 2023

Monday, February 20, 2023
Mark 12:31
The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.

The greatest commandment the Bible gives is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. But Jesus emphasized that, second to loving God, you and I are to love people. Your Creator has planned out all the days of your life, and has written countless characters into your story. Your family, friends, friends of friends, strangers you meet on the street, the cashier at the coffee shop; they’re all God’s children, and Christ wants you to love them like He does. Whether they’re people you like or don’t like, if they’re all important to God, they should be important to you too.