February 20, 2018 - THE GREAT COMMAND

Day 51 - (Today’s Bible readings: Genesis 36:10-43; Psalm 47; Matthew 22:34-46)

35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  (Matthew 22:36-39 Ps ESV)

Do you love God?..... Really?.... He commands and demands that we love Him completely.  And then He gives us the big test and perhaps the toughest command of all.  Love others just like you love yourself.  While this is difficult for the imperfect person we each see looking back at us in the mirror, love for others is perfectly reflected in Jesus’ earthly life. 

     Lord, Thee I love with all my heart;
     I pray Thee, ne’er from me depart,
     With tender mercy cheer me.
     Earth has no pleasure I would share.
     Yea, heav’n itself were void and bare
     If Thou, Lord, wert not near me.
     And should my heart for sorrow break,
     My trust in Thee can nothing shake.
     Thou art the portion I have sought;
     Thy precious blood my soul has bought.
     Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord,
     Forsake me not! I trust Thy Word.
(Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart, Lutheran Service Book, CPH, #708 stanza 1)

Dear heavenly Father, You have sent Christ to be our perfect example of how You want us to live and love.  May the Holy Spirit lead me to better love You and to do the same for those around me. Amen. 

Look for opportunities to love God by loving others today.

Pastor David Paape

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 ), is the theme for this three-year journey through the entire Old Testament once (the Psalms - twice yearly), and the New Testament twice. There will be daily readings form the O.T., Psalms and the N.T. Special days on the church calendar will be highlighted with appropriate readings. This calendar has been compiled by representatives of the Lutheran Church of Canada, the North American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Please click this link for the daily reading calendar:
https://blogs.lcms.org/2017/lcms-lcc-and-nalc-compile-three-year-schedule-of-daily-bible-readings  
Then scroll down to 2018 Bible Reading Calendar and download it if you so wish. The “assigned” daily readings will appear on a daily basis in this blog. May the Lord bless you meditation upon His precious life-giving Word!