The Struggling Believer of Jesus
This entry will be the first among many (hopefully) under my “Personal Devotion” category from 2022 onwards. I’m doing the rubric by Pastor David Asscherick, but this time, I’m applying it to whatever I’m reading and studying for the day.
A quick recap for those who are not familiar with the #DAwithDA and #OTwithDA rubric: here are the 5Ps.
- Point
- Person
- Prayer
- Practice
- Promise
So basically, that’s going to be the structure for every entry here.
But before anything else, I’m going to begin with some G: it’ll stand for Gratitude.
New beginnings
Today, I’m thankful for a better work schedule. I’m also grateful for the work opportunities that God has provided me. My brain is getting the hang of my only-until-5-pm client stuff, and I’m back to blogging here again.
For Tuesdays to Thursdays (hopefully onwards, by God’s grace), I’ll be sharing my key takeaways for the day. On Fridays, I’ll be shutting down any “output” stuff early on, so I could just focus on “taking in” the blessings of the Sabbath.
Love is the theory of everything
Okay, that’s not a new thing to me at all, but that’s the main point that I once again got from today’s reading (for both my sunrise and sunset devotional times).
Anyway, I’m reading Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, and I’m already on the “be ye therefore perfect” part, which proceeds after the “love your enemies” explanation.
Point? Being perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect includes loving your enemies.
Jesus loves perfectly
That’s also true for God the Father. Our Father loves us perfectly. He also loves everyone, “both the just and the unjust.”
That’s the kind of Person our God is.
Please help me do the same?
Loving those you don’t agree with is most likely among the hardest things to do. But yeah, that’s the prayer I got for me out of today’s reading.
After all, Jesus says He’s going to do it for me.
It’s never about my own works.
It’s all part of Jesus’ mission of transforming me (and you) into a human being who actually loves as God loves.
The command to “be ye therefore perfect†is a promise that God will make you perfect “as He is†is perfect.
God LOVES perfectly.
He shines the sun & pours the rain to BOTH the just & the unjust.
Too hard?
Believe. It’s A PROMISE.
GOD WILL make it happen.
Just don’t resist.
The Struggling Believer
Pause and recall 1 Corinthians 13
Okay, for the practice, I think I might need to recall the Love chapter every single time I’m confronted with an apparent enemy move.
Every command is a promise
Once again, this isn’t a new concept to me, but it may be a fresh revelation to some.
This statement by Jesus, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect,” is actually a promise.
It might look like you’re being forced to strive to do this, but remember, God doesn’t coerce, because God is love.
And love, well, it’s the theory of everything.
According to today’s reading, it’s also this same LOVE that will transform pathetic self-centered human beings into individuals who could afford to embrace those who betray them.
Love transforms, friends.
And being able to go on loving your enemies is part of the fruits of Jesus’ work.
