Our “neighbor” is defined as every other living human being. To me, it seemed impossible to love someone who may be a cause of great harm to someone until I heard a theologian define love as “willing the good for someone.” I began willing the good for those persons I found impossible to love, praying that it might help them.
I keep learning ways to love my neighbor by how I am treated by others. Coming out of a hospital after an appointment, I could not find my car in the parking garage. At the top of the third level ramp where I had parked was another car! A woman walking by noticed my alarm and said, “It’s so hard to tell which level you park on. Let’s walk down and see if it is right below this.” It was! I felt so compassionately cared for by this “neighbor.” I now know I can give a loving response to this commandment by helping strangers.
Larry S. and Bill S. please know I continue to hold your sons, their families and your families in the hope and prayer of God’s inexhaustible mercy to embrace you all with His healing Love and Peace. God Bless Your Sons And ALL Who Love Them.❣️
Larry and Bruce, I’m keeping your sons in my prayers and asking Our Lord to give them strength and bring the wisdom of the Holy Spirit into their lives.
Every morning( almost) when I wake up, I say “Jesus, everything I do today I do for you.” For me, it puts Our Lord Jesus before anything that may come up during that day. Dear Lord Jesus, may I see Your Face in everyone I meet every day of my life. Thank you for another day to serve you.
I add to your prayer that “May everyone I meet see Your face in me!”
I just don't understand with all that is going on in the world how people act so hateful why do you carry such hate in you that just because you don't look like someone else they heat absolutely crazy God please help them who hate help us all just get along in Jesus name I pray thank u Lord.
Thank you everyone for your prayers. Ginny passed peacefully in her sleep. She an my sweet Shiloh don't have any pain now.
Stormy, I hope we here at LFF can somehow fill the hole in your heart right now. Praying for you now. Bill L.
May Ginny and Shiloh rest in peace with no pain. May God continue to watch over you.
Your loved ones are at peace and I pray that you will continue to find comfort in your memories of them. God bless you, Stormy ❤️
God Bless and Comfort you and family!
Stormy I can just picture Ginny and Shiloh romping around heaven together. Bill I will keep you and your son and his family in my prayers. Ken
Patricia - great devotional today. Bruce, I love the “love someone lesser” clarity, too. Larry and Bruce, praying that the Holy Spirit will enter into the lives of both of your sons who you are concerned about. I am hoping to be “willing the good to others” today. Amen.
Lord, please hear our continued prayers for those in the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, the Sudan, and all those suffering around the world - also for their strength, courage and resilience to continue walking in faith. Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world! You sent Your Son, the Prince of Peace, for the salvation of the world. We pray that the Peace of Christ will reign in the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia and Sudan. Please protect and send aid to those in need and all who are at-risk. We pray for peace and rebuilding– we who are working towards it and for all those who are suffering or in danger from conflicts. We pray for an end to violence and war – we pray for wisdom for all leaders who have a hand in this. Lord God please help those in most need of thy mercy. Amen.
This is interesting! *** Romans 13:9c, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” *** Luke 14:26, "Anyone who comes to Me must hate their father and mother. They must hate their wife and children. They must hate their brothers and sisters. And they must hate even their own life. Unless they do this, they can’t be My disciple." *** How do you reconcile these verses? To me, these verses tell me that if I don't know and love Jesus more than anyone or anything or anywhere or anyhow or anyway, I will not know how to love myself or my neighbor! And I will not understand what is good for my neighbors either! ******* There is an order (first and then second - don't reverse) to God's commandments in Matthew 22:37-40, "Jesus replied, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love Him with all your mind.’ (Deuteronomy 6:5) This is the first and most important commandment. And the second is like it. ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ (Leviticus 19:18) Everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets is based on these two commandments.” *** The love I have for my neighbors should flow out of the love Jesus has for me and others! *** The good I have for my neighbors should flow from the good Jesus has for me and others! *** I don't decide what love looks like or what good looks like for my neighbors, Jesus does!!! ******* My prayer and praise in Psalm 112:1, "Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who have respect for the Lord. They find great delight when they obey God’s commands!" 1 John 4:19, "We love because He loved us first!" Amen ✝️
“Love your neighbor”. Then today’s Luke's message is about hating others. What’s going on? Word Among Us devotional cleared it up for me. The Greek word for hate is miseo: love someone less. So love your neighbor, just put Jesus first.
Love your neighbor as yourself, is what the world is lacking.
Thank you Patricia. Thought provoking reflection. This scripture text " love your neighbour as yourself" is deep. It's emotionally binding! .Whatever we behold aceptable for us, must so to, be aceptable for others. Infact, we equate our neighbour to ourselves. This is the beauty of love, when we can perceive each other as equal to us, we would all have embraced and obeyed God's word "love your neighbour as yourself. "and what a wonderful world it would be, devoid of all scorn and hate. Sending prayers and blessings for all with special intentions and needs today. PEACE and LOVE, LFF.
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Amen. :)