Law of God | January 1
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
John 14:15
Jesus, this straightforward instruction teaches us of Your expectations. It is by our love that we are known as Your disciples. When we love You and then disobey it is a contradiction that needs correcting. Help us “to trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in You but to trust and obey.” That old hymn restates John 14:15 in a perfect way.
Father, we have made many “New Year’s” resolutions before. Help us today to focus on a resolution that will change everything, forever. We pray that we will be able to love You with all our hearts, mind and soul, every day of this New Year. There is no downside to that resolution; it is a vow we must keep and by looking to the power of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to overcome temptation. That is our prayer, that we, in your strength respond perfectly to Your commandments.
The second resolution we want to keep this New Year, is to love our neighbor as ourselves. There is another great old hymn that says it well, “They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love, yes they will know we are Christians by our love.” We know Father that these two “love” commandments encompass the 10 commandments. If we can fulfill these two commandments, we fulfill the entire law. It is only by Your grace that we can do so.
Thank You for placing Your law on our hearts and guiding us in all the details of our life. We want nothing more Father than to please You and we know that everything that we do that is right in Your eyes, accrues to our own benefit. We are able to enjoy Your blessings now and for eternity.
This day, Jesus, fill us with the joy of serving You and others. Allow our spirit to be witnessed to by Your Spirit that we might know Your peace, kindness and joy. We pray in Your Holy name, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project
