This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s message: Love God Love People (LISTEN HERE)
Stories disappear.
We have a member who is a veteran of World War II and was involved in the invasion of Normandy. He has stories to tell. He has shared moments, but I’d love to know the rest of his story. He comments about writing a book or recording his memories, but so far that hasn’t happened.
Do you have people in your life that you would just love to listen to their story? The interest increases when we love and care about the person.
The reality is, people have stories to tell, but their stories, if not recorded, disappear when their life ends.
The amazing thing about the Lord is that he has recorded his story so that we could connect with it…years after the actual events. The record is not just for human interest, but it is a message that transforms our lives and gives us the way to heaven.
But sometimes, this story doesn’t seem all that interesting. The reels on Instagram, or the videos on YouTube capture our interest more than the stories of Scripture. Sometimes pursuing our own story and writing our own legacy gets in the way of time with time in God’s Word.
Remember this:
Isaiah 40:7-8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”
One of the ways we express our love for God is to pause our story writing to listen to his story and allow his story to impact our story.
The LORD set up a rhythm for his people to allow six days to spend writing their story, but to set aside the last day of the week as the time to spend listening to and reflecting on God’s story. God wanted his people to regularly connect with his love in his story to allow his love to permeate their story.
Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Love for God means setting aside regular time to spend time with the Word of the Lord. In reflecting on the third commandment, Martin Luther wrote:
What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.
When Jesus gave the greatest command to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, what better way to know what that looks like than to have the Word of God fill our hearts, guide our thoughts, comfort our soul and direct our actions?
There is no better way to love God than love spending time with him and his story, his Word!
Apply: How can you set aside regular time to let God’s story fill and guid your story?
Prayer: Lord, let your word be a lamp to my feet and a guide to my path. AMEN.