Compiled By: Lisa K Gonzales
Source: The Life Application Study Bible
7 “The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” – 1 Peter 4:7-8
We should live expectantly because Christ is coming soon. Getting ready to meet Christ involves continually growing in love for GOD and for others. – 37 “Jesus replied, ‘You must love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.’” – Matthew 22:37-40 The Pharisees, who had classified over 600 laws, often tried to distinguish the more important from the less important. So, one of them, an “expert in religious law,” asked Jesus to identify the most important law. Jesus quoted Scripture from both Deuteronomy and Leviticus: “And you must love the LORD you GOD with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.” – Deuteronomy 6:5 – and – “Never seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.” – Leviticus 19:18 – By fulfilling these two commands, a person keeps all the others. They summarize the Ten Commandments and the other Old Testament moral laws. Jesus said that if we truly love GOD and our neighbor, we will naturally keep the commandments. This is looking at GOD’s law positively. Rather than worrying about all we should not do, we should concentrate on all we can do to show our love for GOD and others.
It is important to pray regularly and to reach out to needy people. Our possessions, status, and power will mean nothing in GOD’s Kingdom, but we will spend eternity with other people. If we are wise, we will invest our time and talents where they will make an eternal difference.
Father GOD, we want to love, like YOU love. Help us to see others through YOUR eyes, so that we may love as YOU do. We want to concentrate on showing our love for YOU and others. Give us spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that we may grow in the knowledge of YOU, LORD. Flood our hearts with light so that we can understand the wonderful eternal future YOU have promised us. We pray Father, that YOU will become more and more at home in our hearts as we trust in YOU. We ask YOU to ground us deep in the soil of YOUR wonderful and marvelous love and give us the power to understand how deep, how wide, how long, and how high YOUR love really is. We want to experience the love of Christ and be filled with the fullness of life and power that come from YOU, Father GOD. We ask YOU, Father for a Spiritual awakening and a renewal of our thoughts and attitudes. Fill every aspect of our lives with YOUR Holy Spirit. In Jesus Name……
Photo: Port Lavaca (Texas)
Photographer: Lisa K Gonzales
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