Good morning!
Welcome to your morning coffee! May our Heavenly Father lead us in considering careful how we obey Him in loving others. Father, loving is hard. Loving every day in each and every way that you have commanded us is impossible. Unless you help us. Thank you for your merciful love for us. Thank you for guiding us and growing us, by your Spirit, into the likeness of your Son. In the name of your Son Jesus, help us to lay our love habits and mercy attitudes bare before your Word. Walk with us as we seek your Will today Father. Amen!
Your Morning Song: "Let Mercy Lead" by Rich Mullins
Your Morning Scripture: Luke 6:32-36
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
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We either love on God's perfect terms, or the world's terms. We are tempted to love as the world loves, with expectation of return, valuing protection of property over provision for persons, and making ourselves the ultimate goal of whatever efforts in love we make. But God calls us to love without expectation of worldly return, valuing persons over property, and making others, ultimately God, the ultimate goal of our love efforts.
How are we doing with this, Church? Do we love as the world tempts us to love? Selfishly and with meticulous condition? Or do we love as God loves? Like a father running scandalously through the streets, robe caught up past the knee, splashing mud, and crying out in joy at the chance to show mercy and restore the lost? (Luke 15)
Perhaps we read these verses and are deeply and clearly convicted of changes that we need to make. In that case, let's make the changes and entrust our repentance (turning away from sin) to God and enjoy His shared delight in us!
But it is also possible that these verses need some smaller, more specific examples to speak to us. We can be saved (Romans 10:9), mature believers able to discern God's Will (Romans 12:1-2), and still struggle with these verses. Check your closest relationships and then move outward. Who are you easily annoyed with? Do you have any grudges, no matter how small? When was the last time you looked at how you daily do love through God's very practical eyes? Is there anyone you need to apologize to? Is there anyone who needs your forgiveness? (forgiveness does not equal trust, only forgiveness).
Can you confidently say not that you love perfectly, but that you love obediently? Are you merciful as your Father in Heaven is merciful? Do others see your presence as bringing peace and rest? Or when you step foot in a room do others inwardly or perhaps even outwardly recoil, hackles up?
God is watching us, guiding us, teaching us, loving us, showing mercy to us, and expecting us to love as He loves. May our dogged, daily obedience in loving mercifully be rewarded by our mercifully loving Father in Heaven.
