30 Jun July 13 – Daily Devotional

A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON THE BOOK OF HEBREWS

KEEP ON LOVING ONE ANOTHER

Hebrews 13:1 “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.”

One day Jesus was asked by members of a crowd that surrounded Him, “which is the greatest commandment?”  He answered 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 great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39) Love for God and love for one another is the mark of Christianity.

John writes, “We love because He (God) first loved us.”  God’s love is the source of our love for one another.  Over 600 times the word love is found in the Bible.  It is one of the main themes found in the Holy Scriptures.  Bethany Verrett writes, “The Bible says that mankind is made in the image of God, and that God is love. Its pages are full of people driven by love, responding to love, and obeying God in love. If Jesus Christ is the primary subject of the Bible, then love is the theme. The greatest act of love in history was when Jesus Christ died to pay for the sins of the world.”

Jesus teaches, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35) St. Paul describes what Christian love looks like, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

The sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary’s cross was the greatest act of love.  The humblest act of love by Jesus was when He washed the feet of His disciples. John writes,    “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything.” (1 John 3:18-24)

Prayer:  Fill my heart, O Lord, with love for You and for all people for Jesus’ sake.  Amen.

Love in Christ is strong and living, Binding faithful hearts in one;

Love in Christ is true and giving. May His will in us be done.

Love is patient and forbearing, Clothed in Christ’s humility,

Gentle, selfless, kind and caring, Reaching out in charity.

Love in Christ abides forever, Fainting not when ills attend;

Love forgiving and forgiven, Shall endure until life’s end.

(LSB 706)