Today's Verse - John 14:21

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.

—John 14:21

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Love is much more than a feeling or an attitude: true love is always demonstrated by loving action to be true love. When we love, we show it by our deeds. As disciples of Jesus, we show our love by our obedience to the things Jesus taught us and showed us by his example. Our goal is to become JESUShaped - fashioned to be like our Teacher, the LORD Jesus Christ (Luke 6:40; 2 Corinthians 3:18). That obedience brings an incredible blessing - Jesus reveals himself to us and makes his home within us (John 14:21, 23).

My Prayer...

Dear LORD, my Abba Father, please forgive me for my times of disobedience. Help me see my unwillingness to obey as a loss of love for my Savior. Empower me to resist the evil one. Holy Spirit, please pour your love into my heart and help me demonstrate more fully. Heavenly Father, I ask that you help me find delight in obeying the teaching of my LORD and Savior, Jesus, and thereby demonstrating my deep love for him. In the name of your Son, I ask this. Amen.

Today's Verse - Romans 8:23

Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

—Romans 8:23

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

The Holy Spirit, who lives in us, is our guarantee of a greater glory that is to come (2 Corinthians 1:22, 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14). The Spirit comes as our promise of that future glory, the firstfruits of what is yet to be revealed in us (Romans 8:18). Our current state is only a foretaste of what lies ahead for us; we yearn to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling and to be at home with God (2 Corinthians 5:1-8). On that day, our waiting will be over, we will fully experience our adoption as God's beloved children, and our bodies of decay will be transformed into glorious, immortal bodies forever. Hallelujah! Come LORD and make this so, quickly!

My Prayer...

Dear Father, you have blessed me with so many wonderful blessings. I thank you for each and every one of them. At the same time, beloved Father, I do long to be brought into your presence in glory as your beloved child. The pain and heartache of the world, the fragility of my body, and my frustration with my own vulnerability to sin keep me longing for the day that your Son returns in glory and perfects me and gives me my new, glorious existence. Until that day, Father, please help me as I seek to live as your beloved and holy child. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Today's Verse - Romans 8:19

The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.

—Romans 8:19

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Eagerly waits! Don't you love that phrase! Sounds like an oxymoron, but it's not. Think of a groom waiting for his bride to come down the aisle. Eagerly waits! Imagine the parents of a child who is due to be born. Eagerly waits! Remember what it was like as a child waiting for Christmas morning. Eagerly waits! Yes, we know that experience and emotion, and that is what all creation - the cosmos so caught up with decay, disaster, and death - is doing right now! Eagerly awaits! And what is creation waiting for so eagerly? Our transformation and revelation as God's triumphant and glorious children when Jesus returns in all of his glory. Sounds pretty wonderful for a time and world like ours, doesn't it! So, on those bad days, disillusioning days, days of painful waiting, let's retrain our hearts to eagerly await the LORD's return, the healing of our broken cosmos, and our celebration of Jesus' victory.

Video Commentary...

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My Prayer...

O LORD, God of all creation and source of all redemption, we long for the day that every tear is dried and our long bondage to decay is over. Please keep our hearts set on the glory that is to be revealed in us when Jesus returns. In the name of our LORD and Christ, we pray. Amen.