Verse of the Day 11/1

2 John 1:6 Amplified Bible (AMP) ⁶And what this love consists in is this: that we live and walk in accordance with and guided by His commandments (His orders, ordinances, precepts, teaching). This is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you continue to walk in love [guided by it and following it].

 

Today's verse comes from today's New Testament reading from 2 John.  John spoke a lot of love in his gospel and in his letters.  Today's verse shows us what Christian love is rooted in.  Earlier in my devotions this morning I read the following familiar verse in Psalm 119:

 

Psalm 119:105 Amplified Bible (AMP) ¹⁰⁵Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path"

 

Psalm 119:10-11 English Standard Version (ESV) ¹⁰ With my whole heart I seek you;
   let me not wander from your commandments!
¹¹I have stored up your word in my heart,
   that I might not sin against you.

 

If we are to truly walk in love, it will be because we have God's Word in our hearts, moving us, guiding us, directing us, strengthening us, comforting us so that we may do the same in love to others.

 

In an article I read this morning, Burk Parsons writes, "The problem is not that we don't read the Bible, the problem is that we don't study the Bible.  In fact, the Bible itself does not call us to merely read it in order to get through it as quickly as possible in a perfunctory manner - on the contrary, the Bible tells us to devour it one jot and one tittle at a time, to study it like a workman, to rightly divide it, to search it, to meditate on it, to delight in it, to let it dwell in our hearts richly, and to hide it in our hearts that we might not sin against the Lord.  We rightly affirm the complete word for word inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture, yet we often fail to study it word for word, thought for thought, phrase for phrase, and thus fail to grasp the very basic meanings of the eternally weighty and glorious words that God has so graciously revealed to us."

 

It doesn't end with studying it.  What we read, what we learn must be applied - in love.  Let us walk in love today, in the light of His Word as we Trust and Obey.

 

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

• Refrain:
  Trust and obey, for there's no other way
  To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

 

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

Follow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

2 John 1:4-11

English Standard Version (ESV) Walking in Truth and Love

 ⁴ I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. ⁵And now I ask you, dear lady— not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning— that we love one another. ⁶And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. ⁷For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. ⁸Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.⁹Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, ¹¹for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.