1 PETER 2 RESPECTING OTHERS SHOWS LOVE

June 30

1 PETER 2

17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. – 1 Peter 2:17-25

1 PETER 2 RESPECTING OTHERS SHOWS LOVE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As servants of Christ, you will possess the fear of the Lord

This reverence manifests when you consider all his laws

Because of God’s love for you, you can love others too

This love is shown both to the lovable and the unlovable

You will begin to have patience and endure your adversities

You no longer protect yourself but go to God during difficulties

You treat others as God treats you and begin to see God’s image in them

You start to accept your difference from others and become resilient.

If I were to ask you “What is the biggest proof that someone loves you?”, what would your response be? Is it to be loved back or having all your needs met? Most of the world would probably answer with being loved back or having their needs met. This kind of expectation is usual for those who do not know the Lord. But for a Christian, we were given a clear instruction as to how to love. It is in what Jesus did for the whole world that we learn about sacrificial and unselfish love. In other words, we don’t think of yourself first, but we are genuinely interested in others too. We think of other people’s welfare and interests and their needs. Mother Theresa championed this when she gave her life to serve others. Unconditional love as modeled to us by the Lord Jesus Christ himself would mean that we are able to sacrifice our own life for the sake of others. This concept would be counter-intuitive to the world system which always prioritizes the self.

In this account, Peter speaks of the importance of honoring everyone, loving the communion of saints, fearing the Lord and submitting to authorities. Respect is a crucial ingredient in a believer’s life. If we don’t have it, it would mean that we have missed what unconditional love is. Honoring and respecting others would be a deficit in our lives. When we fear God, we will honor one another as well.

REFLECTION

·       Why do you think honor and respect are novelties in our world today?

PSALM 57 REJOICE OVER GOD’S STEADFAST LOVE

June 29

PSALM 57

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!

6 They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down.
  They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!
8 Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn!
9 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.
10 For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!

                                                                                        – Psalm 57:5-11

PSALM 57 REJOICE OVER GOD’S STEADFAST LOVE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

To our faithful God who loves with all compassion & tenderness

Let us exalt him and lift up our hearts to sing hymns of praise

No matter how much suffering and adversities we are experiencing

Let us never forget how merciful he is to forgive all our transgressing

Rejoice over God’s steadfast love for it will remind us of his goodness

Be thankful always for his generosity and bounteous love and uprightness.

It is hard to be joyful when we are full of bitterness, disappointments and regrets. When we focus on what we don’t have instead of counting all the blessings that we receive, we will definitely fail to give glory to the Lord. Instead, we will have a complaining attitude and fail to see God’s goodness and favors. I used to be a very negative person but a book changed my life when it gave me a way to combat that tendency to complain. It was to keep a list of things I could be thankful for on a daily basis. So, I began to have a thank you diary where I count all the little and big things that made me focus on the gifts I have received from God rather than whining about what I didn’t have or unmet needs that were never addressed. At first, the list was short. As time passed by, I found myself getting more things in the list. Then my perception changed from negativity to a more content and joyful perspective. I began to see the gifts that the Lord showers me with on a regular basis. It gave me a more grateful attitude rather than being discontented. It’s been almost five decades since I did this thank you diary. When I became a Christian, I realized that the Holy Spirit corrected my ingratitude to gratitude.

In this psalm, we hear David focuses on the steadfast love of God and how he responded to it. If there’s anyone else who could justify complaining, it would be David. He was a king but constantly chased by enemies that he practically hid in caves and moved around lacking all the comforts worthy of a king. In this account, he sings praise and exalts the Lord for all the faithful love he received.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think thanksgiving gives God glory and the best response to his steadfast love?

ISAIAH 54 YOUR MAKER’S LOVE FOR YOU

June 28

ISAIAH 54

5 For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name;
and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.
6 For the Lord has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,
like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God.
7 For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you.
8 In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer.

9 “This is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah
should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,
and will not rebuke you.10 For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,

and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”

says the Lord, who has compassion on you. – Isaiah 54:5-10

ISAIAH 54 YOUR MAKER’S LOVE FOR YOU

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord God who created you is truly devoted

Like a husband to his wife, he is totally committed

When he gets angry, it is just momentary

He forgives for he loves you unconditionally

His love endures forever and is full of compassion

Your Maker’s love for you is also a shield of protection.

Have you ever wondered what you truly look like inside? Have you ever dwelt on thinking why your Maker carved you in his own image? We see our faces in the mirror regularly but do we look enough at our hearts to see if we are actually reflecting God’s own image in us. Why did God place his imprint on all humankind? We often feel bad when we do things outside of God’s design and yet he never regretted making us in his likeness. Even when sin entered our lives, he gave a remedy for it so we can trace back the original design he made us from. He never got rid of sinful people like us all but as a great master artist, he redid all that was destroyed by Satan. He brought his own Son Jesus Christ to put each of us to our original make.

Have you noticed how couples who have stayed married for so long usually take on similar facial features? That is because they have stayed in connection and shared with each other all the ups and downs of life. They eat together, talk, make life work and this interdependence towards each other transforms these two people into very similar identities and looks. This is how God wants us to be. As our husband, he wants us all to look like the image he made us to be. He wants for us to receive his plan of salvation for mankind to be fulfilled. It is the ultimate way we can give him glory.

REFLECTION

·       How are you reflecting God’s image in your own character and the way you live? Cite insights.

NEHEMIAH 9 GOD’ ABOUNDING LOVE

June 27

NEHEMIAH 9

16 “But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. 17 They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. 18 Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies, 19 you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. 20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst. 21 Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell. – Nehemiah 9:16-21

NEHEMIAH 9 GOD’ ABOUNDING LOVE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As you learn more about your heavenly Father

You will discover his grace and abounding favors

He is generous and easily forgives your transgressions

His love is unconditional and he is full of compassion

He provides you with direction through his laws

It is his way of disciplining and protecting your soul

His abounding love never ends, it is everlasting

He is slow to anger and his mercies are never-ending.

According to sources, chapter nine of Nehemiah’s book is the longest and most reflective prayer among the books in the bible. In this prayer, we hear a mixture of praise, confession of sin and remembrance of God’s unwavering love to his unfaithful and oftentimes rebellious people. Have you ever met anyone as patient and as gentle and loving to those who have constantly defied and disobeyed him? When we go against our parents, we often get punished and the punishment is not always fair. Unlike God, we humans do not see the big picture. We are often tunnel-vision and see only parts of a situation or scenario. Therefore, we can be biased or subjective about those parts that we can only perceive. The rest of it, we don’t truly grasp. Unlike God who sees the big picture, we tend to judge and make wrong assumptions or presumptions when we don’t really know what we are talking about. We just love to blurt out opinions that are not truly objective and impartial.

In this prayer, Nehemiah gives us a clear description of the love of God for his people. His patience lasted 40 years to the Israelites who disobeyed, grumbled and complained about their journey to the Promised Land despite the constant provision they had and constant protection and guidance from the Lord God himself. He continually showered them with his abounding love despite their rebellion.

REFLECTION

  •   Share insights as to God’s abounding love for you.

PSALM 86 THE POWER OF THE LOVE OF GOD

June 26

PSALM 86

6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;   listen to my plea for grace.

7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.

8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours.
9 All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord,
 and shall glorify your name.10 For you are great and do wondrous things;
 you alone are God. 11 Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; 

unite my heart to fear your name.12 I give thanks to you,

O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.

13 For great is your steadfast love toward me;

you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. – Psalm 86:6-13

PSALM 86 THE POWER OF THE LOVE OF GOD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The love of the Lord is powerful and is like no other

It reassures and comforts unlike the love of our neighbor

The Lord’s steadfast love rescues and protects us

He never fails to amaze those who give him their trust

The power of the love of God will deliver anyone from hell

It is this amazing grace that destroys all the schemes of the devil.

There is no one else in this world who can love us more than God loves us. It is a sad fate when unbelievers won’t accept this truth. This is the reason why our world is full of fear and chaos. The love that the world knows is transactional and very superficial. It doesn’t last and is not assuring. Because the love that the world knows is artificial and shallow. Depth and commitment to each other is rare and therefore trust is often absent in this kind of relationship. It is almost like taking risk to be in relationship with someone and yet making sure that they look after their own welfare or agenda. How do you think love would look like if you vow to be with someone but look out for your own needs first? Wouldn’t it be a self-focused and transactional relationship? The person in this relationship will make sure that they get all their needs first rather than their partners. They will wait how beneficial their partner is before they do their part in giving back just enough of what they have received. It is a very transactional kind of love.

In this account, the psalmist describes God steadfast love. It is unconditional and very different from the transactional love that the world generates. God’s love reassures us how important we are. God doesn’t wait until we are loving him first. He woes us first and pursue us and look after our own interests and needs. He does not need anything from us so it is not transactional. He provides all that will bring us closer to fulfill his plan. God’s love rescues us from sin and gives us a life that is eternal.

REFLECTION

  • Share how the power of God’s love was manifested in your life.

MICAH 6 JUSTICE AND KINDNESS MANIFEST LOVE

June 25

MICAH 6

6 “With what shall I come before the Lord,
    and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God. – Micah 6:6-8

MICAH 6 JUSTICE AND KINDNESS MANIFEST LOVE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

What does God require from his beloved people?

The Lord wants them to be kind and impartial

No offerings and sacrifices can replace kindness

To show compassion mirrors God’s steadfastness

By fairly treating others without biases is loving

It is a clear indication that you are showing justice

Seek humbly God’s counsel by reading his word

You will have a strong weapon and edge over the world.

In this chapter, we hear God’s judgment over Israel for defying his commandments. In these following verses, we hear the Israelites trying to figure out how to appease God of his wrath over them for disobeying him. It seemed like verse 6 was something a covenant child of God would ask to deny admittance to their own sins and asking God what they needed to do to spare them of this judgment. This lack of accountability is almost just like when a little child did something mischievous and got caught and would try his best to cover up what he has done for fear of punishment. Verses 6-7 is almost washing their hands of the knowledge of God’s requirements stipulated in his laws. It is very childish to seem to forget who God is and what was required from them as part of the covenant between them and God. It almost sounded like sarcasm for them to ask a question they already knew the answer to.

Micah spoke in verse 8 and reminded them of God’s requirement from his people. He wants justice from his people, to love kindness and to walk humbly with the Lord. They need not do sacrifices and offerings which was probably easier for them to do. They didn’t want to take responsibility for their sinfulness and skip the punishment for their sins.

REFLECTION

  • Why do humans tend to deflect their sins instead of confessing and asking for forgiveness?

NAHUM 1 GOD’S LOVE TO HIS PEOPLE

June 24

NAHUM 1

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble;
  he knows those who take refuge in him.

  8 But with an overflowing flood
  he will make a complete end of the adversaries,
  and will pursue his enemies into darkness.
9 What do you plot against the Lord?
    He will make a complete end;
    trouble will not rise up a second time.
10 For they are like entangled thorns,
    like drunkards as they drink;
    they are consumed like stubble fully dried.
11 From you came one who plotted evil against the Lord,
    a worthless counselor. – Nahum 1:7-11

NAHUM 1 GOD’S LOVE TO HIS PEOPLE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord is always good especially to those who love him

He ensures that they are protected from the tactics of the devil

God defends his people completely by ending the enemy’s schemes

Their conspiracies will never rise because God will destroy them

God manifests his love to his people by being a shield and protector

He strengthens them and no weapon formed against them will prosper

The Lord is your shield and defense against all rulers and oppressors

Without God’s love, you won’t overcome foes and be the conquerors.

One of the most important aspects of any form of relationship is the state of being “safe.” Without safety, we become on guard to scan for dangers. A key component to loving someone is to keep them safe and secure in your relationship. With that security comes trust and assurance. So many people in our world today have experienced neglect and abuse which lead to many insecurities and mental health challenges. When a child grows up without being cared, loved and nurtured, that child learns to cope with the deficits in his/her life. She/he learns to mistrust and scan for unsafe people and the environment. They become hyperfocus and always on guard and ready to either fight, flight, freeze or fawn. It is very different for those who love the Lord. If you know God, you are secure in his love and at peace even with the most challenging of circumstances. Because you know that the Lord is your shield and your defender.

In this account, the prophet Nahum pronounces the wrath of God against the Ninevites. In verse 7, the prophet reminds them that those who belong to God need not be afraid, for God will spare them from his wrath over Nineveh. He will defend and ensure that their enemies never triumph over them.

REFLECTION

·       How does God’s love towards you differ from any human love you have experienced?

JOHN 14 IF YOU LOVE GOD

June 23

JOHN 14

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. – John 14:15-24

JOHN 14 IF YOU LOVE GOD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

If you love God, you will obey and follow his commandments

It is a clear sign that you truly love him with your heart, soul and mind

You can’t claim you love God and have a rebellious attitude

If you question his authority, it is impossible to show gratitude

If you love God, you will emulate Jesus in his love for others

You won’t be self-focused but think of your neighbor’s welfare

If you love God, you will hunger for his word and seek counsel

You won’t rely on your own understanding but depend on him.

Has anyone declared their love for you but failed to show it? Many marriages end in failure because one of the spouses failed to follow through with their vow to love each other forever for better or for worse. Once the honeymoon phase dies down, the relationship goes down on a spiral of let downs and disillusionments set in. The “self” wins and tries to claim what they expected from the spouse which sometimes were never even discussed. Many marriages and other relationships were all based on transactional agreement. “I’ll give you something if you also give me what I want from you” is the unspoken mindset from these kinds of relationships. No wonder, they don’t last. They have no clear notion of what true love is.

Jesus gives the disciples true and tested proof that they are his followers. He tells them that those who obey his commandments are those who truly love him. He also mentions the importance of keeping God’s word in their hearts. Without God’s words, we won’t know how to follow his laws and navigate in this corrupt world. Without his truth, we will continue to be deceived and an easy target for the devil to manipulate and tempt. Saying you love God and not obeying his word and laws show that you don’t love God.

REFLECTION

·       Why do you think “obedience” is the requirement of Jesus to prove they love him?

ZECHARIAH 8 LOVE TRUTH AND PEACE

June 22

ZECHARIAH 8

O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.”14 For thus says the Lord of hosts: “As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the Lord of hosts, 15 so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. 16 These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; 17 do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.” 18 And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 19 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore, love truth and peace. – Zechariah 8:13-19

ZECHARIAH 8 LOVE TRUTH AND PEACE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you love the Lord your God, you will do what he says

He wants us never to fear but always pursue peace instead

We are all commanded to speak truth to one another

This is a clear manifestation that we love each other

To speak lies only makes for confusion and chaos

It opens door for the devil to have access to tempt us

In truth, we expose and discern all the tactics of the enemy

Therefore, seek the truth in God’s word and you’ll have victory.

In this prophetic utterance of the prophet Zechariah, we hear the Lord urge all his people to love truth and pursue peace at all times. What does it do when we love the truth? It keeps us aware of the ways that the devil works. The purpose of God’s word is to expose all that is not of God’s kingdom. So, if a believer constantly seeks God’s truth, he will grow in discernment of the spiritual realm and all the works that are going on when spiritual warfare actually happens. It is sad to see so many Christians who would not even seek the word of God regularly. They think that they can navigate this world without God’s guidance. It is very arrogant to do that because they cannot discern spiritual things if they only rely on what is visible in the world. The book of Ephesians warns us that we are dealing with spiritual forces that we can’t see and yet can create havoc in our lives.

Zechariah voices out God’s instructions in verses 16-18 as follows:

·       Speak the truth to one another

·       Utter only truthful judgments and pursue peace

·       Don’t plot evil schemes or false accusations or statements

The Lord wants to ensure that they follow these commands so they can continually receive God’s favor.

REFLECTION

·       Why do you think many people today fail to seek the truth and pursue peace regularly?                   

                                                                                

JOSHUA 23 ON RESPONDING TO GOD’S LOVE

June 21

JOSHUA 23

3 And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you. 4 Behold, I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. 5 The Lord your God will push them back before you and drive them out of your sight. And you shall possess their land, just as the Lord your God promised you. 6 Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, 7 that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, 8 but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day. 9 For the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day. 10 One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God who fights for you, just as he promised you. 11 Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God. 12 For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13 know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the Lord your God has given you.

                                                                                         – Joshua 23:3-13

JOSHUA 23 ON RESPONDING TO GOD’S LOVE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you receive a love that is unconditional and faithful

Wouldn’t you respond with the same passion and devotion?

The Lord your God has done everything by fighting for you

He remained devoted to you; shouldn’t you do the same?

Be careful to follow your God’s commands or you’ll fall

Obey his laws so you can be sure that you won’t be trapped

Respond to God’s love by making him your priority

You will receive many blessings and have victory.

When someone loves you dearly, you usually cannot resist but reciprocate the same love you received. But because of our sinful nature, some of us would not respond with reciprocity. In this account, Joshua was already in his old age and exhorting the Israelites to remember what God has done for them. He reminded them of the faithful love of the Lord. God dealt with all their enemies and made sure that they were going to possess the land that was promised to them. Just like a husband expects the wife to be faithful to him, God also expects the same devotion from his people. Without obedience to God’s laws, it is impossible for them to have victory over their enemies. It is God who will fight for them. It is their obedience that will ensure the promises are fulfilled.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think obedience is a main ingredient in showing our love for God?