2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Numbers 4:1-5:31 ESV, Mark 12:18-37 ESV, Psalm 48:1-14 ESV, Proverbs 10:26 ESV
Daily Verse: “And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:33 ESV)
SUNESIS (4907): “A mental putting together, i.e., intelligence or the intellect. Suggests quickness of apprehension, the penetrating consideration which precedes action. To set together, to understand denotes the understanding of the mind or intelligence.” [I]
Understand completely.
Jesus, answering the scribes, summarizes all the commandments into one: love God and others. Accomplishing the task requires an understanding of the mission. If we don’t understand who and why we’re loving, we can’t fulfill God’s purpose for our lives.
God loved first; He created us because of His affection for us. When you begin to understand God’s unconditional love towards you, mutual affection develops. Becoming transparent with God about your misdeeds then receiving His grace and mercy will change your life. Experiencing transformation because of your connection with the Creator will make you want to share the gift with others.
Share the love.
Our world needs love more than ever. People have lost sight of God, living to satisfy fleshly desires. But eventually, we all learn chasing our wants leaves us empty and alone. But when we give our lives to Christ, He frees us from worldly bonds, filling us with His Spirit. As we grasp the depth of God’s love for us, we begin to understand Jesus’ command better.
Loving God first gives us the desire to share His affection with others. Jesus, leading by example, loved everyone He met. Never do you see Jesus pushing Himself onto others. No, Jesus understood the other person’s perspective. Like the woman at the well, Jesus meets people amid their sin, forgiving them and setting them free of it.
Seek to understand God’s love for you better today. Embrace the grace and mercy Jesus offers. Understanding God’s love for you will help you love others.
[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 241) Thomas Nelson
