Carey Madding
Today's Scripture: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” James 2:14, ESV
Theme: Loving God with all your heart requires faith...and faith motivates action.
ALL MEANS ALL
This week, we are learning about the “Greatest Commandment” and how to live it out. I love Luke’s record of it best: “And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself’” (Luke 10:27, ESV). I love the extra word “strength” in this version. It reminds me that this type of “loving God” is not a couch-potato, armchair quarterback-type of passion. It involves everything I am and have. It means I must take the Bible--God’s Word--seriously and use my mind to study it. I must also apply it, by action, with all my heart and strength. I must follow the Spirit, His whispers in my soul, about how to act, speak, and live.
IT TAKES FAITH
It takes faith to follow God; to trust that if I do as His Word directs and am generous, He will be faithful to me and provide for my needs. It takes faith to reject what the world says about success and find success in caring for someone less fortunate, serving them as Jesus served me. It takes faith to step out and speak the Gospel, or offer gentle encouragement, or declare truth and exhort someone to righteousness. Was that me or did God tell me to speak on His behalf? It is scary to speak for God. It takes faith.
ACTION
Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15, ESV). There is no genuine, passionate love for God without obedience and action. As we talk about our Cove Core Values, we know that taking the Bible seriously means not only studying it but DOING it! It means putting our head knowledge to work in our daily interactions and plans. It means being intentionally generous, and looking for ways to serve others, instead of being served.
Make It Personal: It is great to “read through the Bible in a year” or spend an hour every morning in your quiet time. But, if your time with God is not resulting in any action, you may not be hearing all He is saying to you. Ask God to clearly reveal His plans for your day. Ask Him to light a fire in your heart (and maybe under your seat!) so that you take what you know and apply it to loving Him and His children with all you have: heart, soul, strength, and mind.
Pray: Lord God, I know You are God Almighty. I believe Your Word completely and I think I do a good job of taking it seriously. Help me clearly see areas where I am disregarding it, not doing as You are commanding. Guard me against focusing only on the parts of the Bible I'm willing to do. I ask You to light the fire of the Spirit, both in my heart and under my seat, so that I get up and go and act on all You have shown me. Amen.
Read: 1 John 5:1-3; James 1:22-25