Bible League: Living His Word The Father has loved us so much! This shows how much he loved us: We are called children of God.— 1 John 3:1 ERV I love my Dad. He is one of my heroes. He doesn’t wear a cape or a super-suit. He can’t fly or outrun a speeding train or leap over a tall building in a single bound. He does love Jesus, though. He loves people, too. He’s an encourager to everyone he meets. I’m so blessed to be his son. There’s something special about having a great dad, isn’t there? There’s something comforting about having parents that really love you. If you’ve never felt the love of a good father or the love of a family, my heart goes out to you. I pray that this devotion will speak to you and encourage you. The Word of God says that you have a Heavenly Father who really, really loves you. In fact, the Bible says that He loves everyone! He proved it, too! He demonstrated His love by sending His one and only Son, Jesus, into the world to save the world (John 3:16). God the Father didn’t just say the words, “I love you” to the world. He showed the world how much He loves us through His Son, Jesus. In our verse for today, the Apostle John says that because God loves us so much, He brought us into His family. He adopted us as His children. How wonderful is that? The Bible says that at one time we were enemies of God because of our sinful behavior (Colossians 1:21). God the Father, in His great love for us, through Christ, brought us into His family. You and I, we are part of God’s family now. The good news of the Gospel is that there’s always room for one more. We now have a responsibility to tell everyone about the love of God. We need to let people know that God wants to adopt them into His family, too. His deepest desire is that everyone would repent and come to know the truth of the Gospel so He can adopt them as His very own children. The challenge for you and me today is to think of one person we know who needs the love of God. Think of a family member, a friend, a co-worker, or a neighbor who needs to be adopted into our family. Pray for an opportunity to share God’s love with that person in the next month. You just may be surprised at how God moves to create that opportunity. When the opportunity arises, seize it! See how God works through you to start the adoption process and we’ll all rejoice when our new brothers and sisters join our family. By Shawn Cornett, Bible League International staff, Illinois U.S. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingLeviticus 18, 19 Leviticus 18 -- Laws on Sexual Relations NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Leviticus 19 -- Idolatry Forbidden; Various Laws NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Matthew 27:32-66 Matthew 27 -- Judas Hangs Himself; Jesus' Trial, Crucifixion and Burial NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion They speak without a sound or word;their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. Insight The apostle Paul referred to this psalm when he explained that everyone knows about God because nature proclaims God's existence and power. This does not cancel the need for missions because the message of God's salvation found in his Word, the Bible, must still be told to the ends of the earth. While nature points to the existence of God, the Bible tells us about salvation. God's people must explain to others how they can have a relationship with God. Challenge Although people everywhere should already believe in a Creator by just looking at the evidence of nature around them, God needs us to explain his love, mercy, and grace. What are you doing to take God's message to the world? Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Luke 8:47 She was healed immediately.One of the most touching and teaching of the Saviour's miracles is before us tonight. The woman was very ignorant. She imagined that virtue came out of Christ by a law of necessity, without his knowledge or direct will. Moreover, she was a stranger to the generosity of Jesus' character, or she would not have gone behind to steal the cure which he was so ready to bestow. Misery should always place itself right in the face of mercy. Had she known the love of Jesus' heart, she would have said, "I have but to put myself where he can see me--his omniscience will teach him my case, and his love at once will work my cure." We admire her faith, but we marvel at her ignorance. After she had obtained the cure, she rejoiced with trembling: glad was she that the divine virtue had wrought a marvel in her; but she feared lest Christ should retract the blessing, and put a negative upon the grant of his grace: little did she comprehend the fulness of his love! We have not so clear a view of him as we could wish; we know not the heights and depths of his love; but we know of a surety that he is too good to withdraw from a trembling soul the gift which it has been able to obtain. But here is the marvel of it: little as was her knowledge, her faith, because it was real faith, saved her, and saved her at once. There was no tedious delay--faith's miracle was instantaneous. If we have faith as a grain of mustard seed, salvation is our present and eternal possession. If in the list of the Lord's children we are written as the feeblest of the family, yet, being heirs through faith, no power, human or devilish, can eject us from salvation. If we dare not lean our heads upon his bosom with John, yet if we can venture in the press behind him, and touch the hem of his garment, we are made whole. Courage, timid one! thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God." Daily Light on the Daily Path Numbers 18:20 Then the LORD said to Aaron, "You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.Psalm 73:25,26 Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. • My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 16:5,6 The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. • The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. Lamentations 3:24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him." Psalm 119:111 I have inherited Your testimonies forever, For they are the joy of my heart. Psalm 63:1,7 A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. • For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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