Today's Verse - 1 John 3:11

This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

—1 John 3:11

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

The original message? Love one another. The enduring message? Love one another. The most convincing message? Love one another. The most difficult message? Love one another. The clearest message? Love one another.
This call to love one another reminds me of the convicting verse I once heard a preacher use about loving our brothers and sisters:

To dwell above with saints we love,
O that will be glory.
But to dwell below with saints we know,
Now that's another story.

But it's the story we're called to write with our lives. Love one another." It's Jesus' enduring message to us is clear: Love one another!

My Prayer...

Loving Father, I commit to you that I will intentionally show my love for your children in what I do and say. I do this trusting in your grace and the Holy Spirit to empower me to do more loving things and be more loving than I could be on my own. I want to obey my Lord's command to love others as he did. Through Jesus, my Savior, I pray. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Today's Verse - 1 John 4:10

This is love: not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

—1 John 4:10

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

God loved us first! He sent his Son to save us regardless of our decision to believe or reject his grace. But what does Jesus being an atoning sacrifice for our sins mean? It means that Jesus' sacrifice removes our sins and allows us to be "at one" with God again, presented to the Father by the Son as holy and blameless and above reproach before him (Colossians 1:22). God loved us first! We were once offenders of God's gracious holiness - we were weak, ungodly, sinners, and enemies (Romans 5:6-10) of God and his holiness - yet God paid the cost to bring us back to Himself in holiness and honor. God loved us first!

My Prayer...

Precious King, God Almighty, why would you love us so much that you would send your Son to die as the atoning sacrifice for our sins? We know that you gave us this gift of love when we were undeserving. We confess that we will never fully comprehend the depth of such sacrificial love as you demonstrated to us. However, we are deeply touched and thank you for your gracious love for us in Jesus. We pray in your name, LORD Jesus, by the power of your intercession and thankful that God loved us first! Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Today's Verse - John 13:34-35

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

—John 13:34-35

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

How do you recognize Jesus' followers? How do you find true Christians? Many people claim to be followers of Jesus, but are they really? How do we know?
In the Gospel of John, Jesus gives us three ways that show we are his true disciples: we abide in his word (John 8:31-32 ESV), we bear much fruit (John 15:8), and we love one another (John 13:35). Today, we focus on our love for one another as a mark of true discipleship. Jesus said his disciples would love each other just as he loved them. In the immediate context, this kind of love is defined: like Jesus, we are willing to love and serve each other selflessly and practically - just as he washed their feet and later went to the cross while protecting them. The LORDs ministry revealed he would do almost anything to demonstrate his love for his disciples, whether extravagant, simple, or something in between. Imagine if we all followed the LORD Jesus' example and proved ourselves his disciples by loving each other in the same way Jesus demonstrated his love to them and to us!

My Prayer...

Father of Compassion and God of all grace, we thank you for teaching me to love through the example and commands of Jesus. May our words and actions reflect his love toward your people today, tomorrow, and until you bring us all home to you. In the name of Christ, our Great Example and LORD, we pray. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.