Verse of the Day 12/6

Verse of  the Day 12/6/17

 

1 John 2:6   whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

If you are following a read through the New Testament plan for the year, you are likely in the book of 1 John.  The book and the chapter focus on love, more than that, walking in love, living as loving people towards our brothers and sisters and to all.  We are to do this as children of God, because God is love.  God's Word and His love should dwell in us, have residence in us and we should abide in them.  It is no easy thing to do.  It involves repentance, turning and following and when we stumble it means to repeat the process.

 

It is humbling to read today's verse.  It is a fairly short one but is anything but easy to apply in our lives.  Stop and think about that, to walk in the same way as He walked, behave in similar fashion, show compassion, love, to encourage and yes to challenge.  To keep His Word we have to know His Word and keep it before us.  Keep it before us and see how He walked in the gospels, in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 -7 and prayed for us in John 17, and taught us about abiding in John 15.

 

If we want to know what's best for us, we will follow His Word.

 

Max Lucado  in some a comment from the book of Jeremiah where the prophet was challenging the people to follow God writes, "If only you knew..." are God's words to us. No lectures. No speeches. No homilies on how far He has come to help. No finger-pointing at our past. None of that. Just an appeal. An appeal for trust. "If only you knew..." "If only you knew that I came to help and not condemn. If only you knew that tomorrow will be better than today. If only you knew the gift I have brought: eternal life. If only you knew I want you safely home." If only you knew."

 

Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare^[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

 

If we learn to trust Him, we can know the plans and we find them by abiding.

 

 

 

Blessings,

Mike

 

1 John 2:3-6 The Message (MSG)

The Only Way to Know We're in Him

^2-3 Here's how we can be sure that we know God in the right way: Keep his commandments.

^4-6 If someone claims, "I know him well!" but doesn't keep his commandments, he's obviously a liar. His life doesn't match his words. But the one who keeps God's word is the person in whom we see God's mature love. This is the only way to be sure we're in God. Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived.

 

 

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