Aug 01 2024

Afternoon Bible Verse

But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

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Our world currency system is based on the exchange of money for goods and services. If we want something, we pay for it. For better quality or larger quantity, we pay more because, as the saying goes, "you get what you pay for."

Imagine this paradigm shift: You receive something for nothing with no expectation of ever doing anything to earn or pay for it.

In the Book of Luke, we are presented with a form of giving that is countercultural and difficult to comprehend. This afternoon's verse is the account of what we call The Sermon on the Mount. A crowd had gathered around Jesus and His disciples. They had come to Jesus for healing. After He healed everyone, He spoke to the masses.

Jesus shared the heart of the Father—and it challenged people's beliefs.

He told them, "Bless those who curse you, don't judge others and you won't be judged" and "Take the plank out of your own eye before you point out the speck of dust in someone else's eye."

In Luke 6:35, Jesus said, "love your enemies." Enemies are the people in our lives that don't want the best for us. They are against us, positioned to watch us fall on our faces and fail in life.

These are the exact people Jesus told us to "love, do good, lend, hoping for nothing again." Following God requires a higher aim of doing what is right. It's not enough to only love those who love us. God asks us to love those who hate us, just as He does.

God is kind to the unthankful and the evil. With God's help, we can love others. The world will see the difference in our lives and know we are God's children.

Afternoon Prayer

Lord, you have called me to a life that I am incapable of leading without your help. I want to love others, but sometimes it can be hard. You are aware of the people who dislike me and those in my life are who difficult to love. When I don't know the right things to say and do, help me to turn to you for wisdom. Let me give to others without expecting anything in return. Give me the kind of love that shows the world I want to be like you. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Jul 31 2024

Yesterday Afternoon's Bible Verse

For in him we live, and move, and have our being. :

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Yesterday Afternoon's Bible study

God is the reason we exist. Our lives are in His hands. He created us with purpose, and without Him we will never live the abundant life He has called us to.

Whether or not we acknowledge Him, He is in control. Matthew Henry, a minister from the 1600s, said, "We have a necessary and constant dependence upon his providence, as the streams have upon the spring and the beams upon the sun." Everything depends on the Lord.

And God doesn't want just part of us. He wants us to live, and move, and have our being through Him.

The world needs to hear God's message of hope and love. When we share the Gospel, God uses our words to draw His creation back to Him. When we experience the life God has for us, and when we accept that He is the ruler of every area of our hearts, then we can't help but share that message with others.

We can ensure that we abide in God by stopping and connecting with Him throughout the day. By denying ourselves and choosing to live through Him, we discover God's true purpose for our lives.

Yesterday Afternoon's Prayer

Jesus, you are my Lord and Savior. Without you, I cannot do anything. I live and move and have my being in you. Jesus, You provided the way for me to live an abundant life through you when you came to earth and died for me. Thank you for your sacrifice, Jesus, that allows me to spend eternity with you. In your name, amen.
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