Today's Scripture
Finding A Friend John 15:9-17
9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. 16 You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. 17 I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.
RJ's Devotion
What Does the Passage Say?
V. 9-11 Abide in God’s love, which will make our joy complete.
V. 12-15 The greatest commandment of Jesus Christ is fulfilled by us following our Lord.
V. 16-17 God chose/ called us for God’s purpose to love others.
What Does the passage Mean to Me/US?
Three words stand out to me in this passage; abide, follow, and chosen.
We, sometimes, feel like obeying God’s command is a burden. Jesus says, however, ‘if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love.’ Obeying is a prerequisite to have our ‘joy complete.’
Yes, Jesus calls us to love others, even in a form of sacrifice. We see, however, it is what we follow because our Lord testified the love that he has for us, by sacrificing himself.
We sometimes think that we need to choose to live this way. Jesus clearly says, it is not because we choose to follow Jesus, but because Jesus called us first. Our purpose is to respond to that call.
But, why so many times, we feel like we are not living the way Jesus called us to live?
Let us rethink about the three words.
Prayer
Lord, help us to understand your call to live to love. Help us to love others, the way you loved us. In Christ Name, we pray, AMEN.
Click to subscribe to our Daily Devotion.
You will receive a devotion in your inbox every morning.