Today's Verse: 1 John 4:20-21

Saturday, January 14, 2006

If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."
— 1 John 4:20-21

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Love! The word can mean anything. Many in the Christian community have tried to define it by a dictionary or lexicon, not realizing the key word for love, agape, is defined by action. Before Christians got a hold of agape, it meant the same thing our word today does: just about anything! But if you read 1 John, you see what love is by what God does. God demonstrates his love. He asks us to do the same for our brothers and sisters. Love must be more than talk; it must be genuinely demonstrated in action!

My Prayer...

Precious Father, you have so graciously shared your love with me. I must confess, in my heart I intend to love others as you do, but my intentions often get washed away with "busy-ness" or timidity. Father, through your Spirit, prompt me to show my love to others in actions rather than just thought and talk. Through Jesus, your greatest demonstration of love I pray. Amen.

Comments

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Saturday, January 14, 2006

A Year with Jesus
A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
'Opening Blind Eyes'
"Dear Seeker of Truth, I was frustrated with the religious leaders who added their own regulations to the commandments of the law and made those..."
Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'Growing into a New Future' (Acts 1:14-15)
"[The disciples] all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of....."
Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Morning Thought: Isaiah 63:1
"By the words "to save" we understand the whole of the great work of salvation, from the first holy desire onward to complete sanctification. The words..."
Quotemeal
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
Quote by Frank Peretti:
"God does not waste an ounce of our pain or a drop of our tears; suffering doesn't come our way for no reason, and He seems especially efficient at using what we..."

Illustration

Illustration of 1 John 4:20-21 — If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."

About This Devotional

Today's Verse is a free daily devotional that includes a Bible verse, thought and prayer.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

More Today's Verse