Do you love your neighbor as Jesus loved you?

 14 Feb 26

Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One


Readings:

Leviticus 18

Leviticus 19

Matthew 27:32-66


You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18). 


Do you love your neighbor as Jesus loved you?


Jesus sums up the Law in Luke 10: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). The lawyer to whom He speaks then asks, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). The Lord answers with the story about the Samaritan who demonstrates his love for God by loving the injured man in need; that is his neighbor. Jesus knows the needs of the entire world and takes upon Himself the sins of all people. Matthew writes, “Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left” (Matthew 27:38). They are also His neighbors for whom He dies. 


Employment Point: Demonstrate your love for God by meeting your neighbor’s needs.

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Reflections

“You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices.”Leviticus‬ ‭18‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • The Lord brought them out of Egypt and had promised His people the promised land. However, He knows the people residing in the land too well and here, He forewarns His people not to follow their practices.
  • In life we are the same. The Lord will forewarn us anything up ahead and we are to thread carefully forward because He knows us more than we even know ourselves. He knows that we may fail. Otherwise why would He bother to warn us.
  • It is a reminder not to take any warning lightly. It is important for us to keep praying and to keep close to the Lord. Seek Him always.


““ ‘Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God.’ ””Leviticus‬ ‭18‬:‭24‬, ‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • The Lord reminds His people yet again that the place that they are going to was filled with people who defile themselves. I felt He tell this also as a warning that if His people were to end up like that, He will drive them out as well. We are not to underestimate His power or ability to carry out judgement.


Leviticus 19 lists down all the things that are forbidden rather explicitly. The Lord expects the Israelites to follow through and obey them all. If I am a new Christian and read through all of these, I am pretty sure I violated some of it. Even now, I am not exactly sure if I don’t make any of those mistakes. This is good therefore, to read the bible and be reminded of the things that we ought not to do.


“In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.”

Matthew‬ ‭27‬:‭41‬-‭44‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • this is a form of judging. We know that Jesus indeed is the son of God but only because we knew the whole story. Only Jesus knew the whole story at that point too. So everyone who heaped insults on Him was being ignorant.
  • this reminds me too that in whatever circumstances, to not be too quick to pass judgement. Jesus didn’t said anything to the one who insulted Him. He only kept quiet. 
  • I think at times this is also true. We know the truth so no need to argue our way with people who refuse to see or accept the truth. Salvation belongs to the Lord and only Him, at the perfect timing will be able to turn or soften hearts. Just do not forget to continue to pray and commune with Him


““Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27‬:‭65‬-‭66‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • for sure human’s ways are limited and they did not know who they are dealing with. No matter how secured it was and how strictly they guarded it, Jesus is a divine being. He is God. Who can keep Him?
  • This is also a reminder that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. Therefore do not think we are smart or are wise. Instead, humble ourselves and remember that Jesus is Lord. There is nothing that He doesn’t know or no place that He cannot go or anything that is too hard for Him, for He controls everything under heaven. 


“the Samaritan who demonstrates his love for God by loving the injured man in need; that is his neighbor”

  • We often may see people in need who need our help. Would you stop in your tracks to render that help or would you be like the priest who walked away?
  • One morning on the way to work and I was already going to be late. I saw a man with a bleeding nose at the MRT station. I thought he was just having a random nose bleed and an SMRT staff is attending to him and is walking him to a seat at the back. My train came and I was about to board but I thought, ok better go check since I’m a nurse. Found out that the elderly man actually fell down and hit his nose. Blood kept oozing out of his nose. So i told him to keep pressing on the soft tissue and not the flesh cos that won’t stop the bleeding. He would need to go hospital to check I think. By then another staff brought in a wheelchair and prepared to wheel him down. He is ok. Not giddy or anything and no other injuries. Thank God he didn’t hit his spectacles else it could have been much worse. 


I remember just a few days back where I wrote availability is more important than ability. And in this instance, it is truly so. I am just there and it is only right that I just do a quick assessment and check in on the guy. And thank God. I still managed to reach workplace 2mins before 9am. Praise the Lord!

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The Discipline of Darkness

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

February 14


What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight. — Matthew 10:27


At times, God puts us into the shadow of his hand, holding us in darkness so that we might be still and learn to listen. Songbirds are taught to sing in the dark; we are taught to hear our Lord.


Are you in the dark right now, confused about your circumstances or your life with God? If you are, keep quiet: darkness is the time to listen. If you talk in the dark, you will talk in the wrong mood. Don’t consult other people about your problem; don’t seek the answers in a book. Other people’s voices and opinions will drown out what God is trying to tell you. Listen to God in the dark, and he will give you a precious message for someone else when you get back into the light.


After every time of darkness, there comes a mixture of delight and humiliation. There is delight at finally hearing God, and humiliation at how long it took to listen. “How slow I’ve been in understanding!” you’ll say. “And yet, God has been saying it all these days and weeks.” If you feel only delight, it is doubtful you have heard him at all.


Learn to welcome the humiliation as a gift: it is God’s way of teaching you how to listen better in the future. If you do, you will develop the softness of heart that always hears God now.


Leviticus 15-16; Matthew 27:1-26


WISDOM FROM OSWALD

The great word of Jesus to His disciples is Abandon. When God has brought us into the relationship of disciples, we have to venture on His word; trust entirely to Him and watch that when He brings us to the venture, we take it. 

———————-

Reflections

We know how much humiliation our Lord Jesus had to endure before the cross. But we also know how close He is to the Father. We do want and also crave for such closeness with our Lord. But I must say, remaining still in the dark is not something we are used to. Which is why the training, as well as the waiting. He is teaching us to trust Him more; in fact to trust Him completely.


Reminds me of this verse “but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.”Jeremiah‬ ‭9‬:‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬


We have the tendency to do things by ourselves and find our own way out. We don’t want to rely on others because we do not want to trouble them. This becomes a problem when we too, do not want to trouble God. But if we think of Him as someone close to us, someone whom we deemed as our father, then we will naturally want to share our struggles with Him.  We would then be able to just lean on Him and surrender.


Let’s pray:

Father God, in our times of challenges, forgive us when we ignore You or even fail to seek You first. Help us to rest in Your peace and stillness and just keep trusting that You Lord, holds our hands. We have nothing to fear for You are with us. Thank You Father for always holding us close to Your hearts. Thank You Father for Your grace and mercy, leading us through the dark valleys. Thank You Father, for going before us even to prepare the way. Thank You Father, for Your love. In Jesus’s most precious name we pray. Amen 🙏🏻 

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