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Read Mark 12:28-31
“And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (v. 31).
Suppose your father owned a beloved 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. He had purchased it at a discount after all his kids were grown, then painstakingly restored it to all its mid-century glory. The seats were recovered, the new coat of crimson paint was spotless, and the round headlights shone. If you were lucky, you got to join your mom and dad on a cruise around town on a summer night.
Now, if you wanted to borrow a vehicle of your dad’s to drive back through the pasture to the pond, would you choose that ’57 Chevy? Chances are that would not even be an option for you. Even if your father was away for the day, you would want to treat his special car with care because he prized it.
This illustrates, to a small degree, the reason that loving God is always tied with loving our fellow man. God has shown us His love for humanity; if we love Him, we will treat those He loves with respect. John puts it another way in 1 John 4:20 — how can we claim to love God whom we cannot see if we do not love people that we can see? (Ashlee Englund)

Love for others should be the focal point of all we do.

This week’s featured devotional is the Monday, June 16, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
Photo credit: "dave_7 used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized and cropped.

Read Isaiah 36:4-10
“And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?” (v. 4).
Weather forecasts can be very entertaining, especially in retrospect. In winter, the dire predictions of “at least seven to ten inches of snow” have people swarming to grocery stores for last minute stock-ups on food
essentials. Spring’s threats of severe storms and too much rain spur worries and cancel plans. Nature’s storms can be powerful, but how often do we over-react to the hype of a broadcaster who simply hopes to boost the ratings? The weather is difficult to predict, and meteorologists often get things wrong. So why do we keep listening to them?
This Rabshakeh knew what he was doing when he questioned the Israelites’ trust. If they trusted in something they could see (the Egyptian army), the Assyrians were certain they could win. If the Israelites trusted in the one they could not see (God), the Assyrians judged based on recent events that they would still have the victory. After all, if this God was so powerful, why did He allow the leader of His people to make so many sweeping changes to the methods of worship in His land?
The Assyrians did not know three important details. First, the changes Hezekiah was making were in line with God’s law. The people were returning to God’s way of doing things. Second, God was certainly capable of taking care of His people. Isaiah described in the very next chapter just how He did it. And finally, God loves His children. He will always take care of them! (Michelle Avery)

Life often challenges our faith. God is always ready to meet that challenge!

This week’s featured devotional is the Tuesday, June 10, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
Photo credit: "Summer Storm in Saragossa" by Paulo Brandao used under CC BY-SA 2.0 / Resized and cropped.

Read Exodus 25:10-22
“And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel” (v. 22).
There are many reasons why people choose us to be their friends. Some choose us because of a good deed we have done for them. Some choose those that have a great deal of this world’s goods and they think that by choosing them they may benefit by having the wealthy to be their friend.
I am so grateful for those who have chosen to let me be their friend and to have fellowship with them. They have not made that choice because I am wealthy so they can benefit financially. Neither have they chosen my friendship because of good deeds I might do for them, for I am limited in what I can do. They chose my friendship and fellowship because they love God and He has commanded us to love one another.
God told Moses that He would meet with him and commune with him from above the mercy seat. We should be grateful that we are not limited to meeting and communing with God in a certain church or in a particular place within the church, but He will meet and commune with us in the place of obedience. As God told Saul through Samuel, He expects obedience and not sacrifice in order to have fellowship with Him. (Larry DeOrnellis)
Jesus said He would never leave or forsake us, and He is available for fellowship with us wherever we come to Him.
This week’s featured devotional is the Thursday, June 5, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
Photo credit: "<3" by James Kim used under CC BY-SA 2.0 / Resized and cropped.