Proverbs 16 - 6.19.24

Scripture: Proverbs 16:2-3

 All a person’s ways seem pure to them,
    but motives are weighed by the Lord.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
    and he will establish your plans.

Observation

We must guard against doing what is right in our eyes and seek God’s direction in every area of our lives.

Application

Humans are skilled at justifying their behavior. It starts very early. I hit my sister because she called me a name – she deserved it. I took a cookie after mom told me not to because I was STARVING. And it continues throughout our life, justifying why we speed, fudge on our taxes, and on and on. We want to decide in our own minds what is right. And sometimes we make our own plan, even with the best intentions, without seeking God’s direction.

“The conclusion of the matter is that we deceive ourselves so easily and therefore cannot fully evaluate ourselves. God, by his Spirit and through his Word, provides the penetrating evaluation.” (Ross)

In Hebrew, the word commit is to roll – roll your burdens, your to-do list, your concerns, your plans onto God. Lay it all before Him in prayer. Everyday. And then leave it there. Submit to Him and HE will establish your plans.

“The wisdom of the world is foolishness to God, but the wisdom of God is life and health to those that obey Him.”

Prayer

Why do I choose to shoulder the burden of plans and decisions on my own? And then run to you when I have problems? Why would I not choose to roll them over to you and stand free and unburdened in the middle of your will?  Help me to battle my foolishness and arrogance, thinking I have things under control, and choose to submit daily to your guidance and direction.

- Debbie Dunn

1 John 5 - 6.18.24

SCRIPTURE:  1 John 5:1-5 

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (NIV) 

OBSERVATION 

This section, along with quite a bit of 1 John, covers how love is intertwined in our Christian life here on earth along with what gave us eternal life: God’s love.

Verse 1 begins with the basics of our Christian love: if we believe Jesus is born of God, and love the father, then you’ll love his child: Jesus and all other believers. Love is the fabric that covers our Christian life. Love is where our faith begins and also how it grows deeper through love.

John further elaborates in verse 2 that love is how we’ll know those who are children of God is by their love of God and how they carry out His commands each day.  Love is something tangible that can be seen, felt, and shared. Love is how we carry ourselves around others and how we treat everyone we encounter each day. We can have confidence in our faith and salvation by living out love in action towards others and to God.

Our love for God is further confirmed in verse 3 by not only keeping His commands BUT to also not see the commands as a burden. When love is at the core of your life as a believer, following any of God’s commands shouldn’t be a burden. Jesus gave us the greatest command in 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 everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” How can we take every command as not a burden? The only way is through love. Have you ever had the chance to be so in love with someone that you would do anything for that person? That’s love in action. Take that love and apply it to knowing the depth of God’s love for us in Romans 5:8: “ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Even though we were not worthy, we were sinners and an enemy to God, He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to be the pure and undefiled sacrifice for each and every person. His love is what can fuel a passion to love Him (“We love because he first loved us” 1 John 4:19) and can be the motivation to follow his commands without feeling like they’re a burden.

Verse 4 shares love is how we overcome the world and have victory. We live in a fallen world that lacks love for one another. As a believer, through love and Christ’s death, we have overcome the world. Christ broke the curse of sin and death as 1 Corinthians 15:22 says  “Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.”  Christ’s death and love for us is how we overcome this world and have victory. In verse 5 John confirms who overcomes the world is reserved exclusively for “Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” If you believe then you have overcome the world!

APPLICATION

Love is what motivated God to send Jesus as a sacrifice and atonement for our sins. When we ask Christ into our lives, love is what motivates us to follow His commands. Through His great love, we can love others – even those who are enemies, who mistreat us, and even those who hurt us. In Matthew 5:43 - 45, Jesus shared “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”  Loving your enemy might be the hardest part of loving others yet it’s an opportunity for Christ’s love to overcome the sinful nature of this world. When I’ve encountered situations or people that are hurtful, all I can think of “this is who Christ died for – and loved.” Somehow shifting the focus off my own hurtful feelings and turning them to how Christ views the person or situation always changes my response. First Peter 4:8 says it best: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

PRAYER

Lord, thank you for loving me in spite of my sinful nature. Thank you for saving me from the curse of this world and giving me victory. Your love is bigger than anything and everything! I’m so thankful for your love which motivates me to follow your commands. Help me to have your love for people and to show your love in every situation, even to those who might hurt me or my family. Guide me to say loving things, do loving gestures, and actions and sharing love to those in need. Ultimately I pray your love will shine through all that I do so others see and find you. In Jesus name I pray! Amen

- Mary Oberg

1 John 4 - 6.17.24

Scripture:

1 John 4:19-21

 "We love because He first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister." 

Observation:

In this chapter, John speaks about testing the spirits and how to discern whether they are from God. Is it the authentic Spirit of God? He then goes on to write about what real love looks like.  Being able to love others originates from God’s love for us. His love for us is not meant to be kept for ourselves, but shared with others, especially our brothers and sisters in the faith.

Application:

Love our brothers and sisters in the faith. 

There are people who say they don’t need the church. Their relationship with God is just between them and Him. I have also had people tell me that they love God, but they don’t love people. (I admit that I have fallen into both traps at various times in my faith journey.)

Why would John, through the Holy Spirit, need to encourage us to love our brothers and sisters in the faith? Because let’s be real, sometimes it’s not easy. Sometimes, we get hurt, disappointed, blindsided or have felt betrayed by family members. Some people have been sinned against too. Human relationships can be complicated, but no matter how hard it may be, we are called to love AND forgive our brothers and sisters in the Lord. 

Another example is in Matthew 18:21-22. Peter asked the Lord how many times he should forgive his brother and sister who sins against him. Peter didn’t ask Jesus about how many times to forgive the people in the world, but rather his own brothers and sisters in Christ. This just proves that even in the church, we will hurt others and be hurt by others.

We cannot operate apart from our family and although family has its ups and downs, it’s important to always pray for each other (it’s hard not to love people you pray for), forgive each other, and love each other. Scripture says that we can say we love God all we want, but we would be liars until we start loving our brothers and sisters in Christ (the Church) too! 

Prayer:

Dear Lord, I don’t want my faith and my relationship with You to be a lie because I refuse to love my own brothers and sisters in Christ. Please help me to always forgive, show mercy and love the way You have first loved me. Amen. 

-Michelle Gaddi