Matthew 22:39
New King James Version (NKJV)
39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[a]
Footnotes:
Matthew 5:43-44
New King James Version (NKJV)
Love Your Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,[b]Footnotes:
- Matthew 5:43 Compare Leviticus 19:18
- Matthew 5:44 NU-Text omits three clauses from this verse, leaving, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
John 15:13
New King James Version (NKJV)
13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
Genesis 43:8-9
New King James Version (NKJV)
8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9 I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.
"Love your neighbor as yourself." Sounds easy doesn't it! The key is in the second half of this verse, "as yourself." Do you...love yourself. Some may say, "Sure" or "I think so". Some may respond with "You don't know me. I am not worth loving." God calls us to love ourselves and then toove our neighbors in the same manner as we love ourselves. The problem is we know all about ourselves. We know our temptaions and how we have given in to them. We know every failure we have ever had and continue to struggle with. We have such a close relationship with ourselves that we know the dark secrets about ourselves no one else does. If we can't tolerate or forgive ourselves how can possibly tolerate or forgive others especially those we perceive as enemies.
God loves us and He believes we are worthy of His love. He loves us so much that He gave His Only Begotten Son for us. Jesus loves us so much that when the time came for Him to be crucified He asked His Father to remove the cup from Him, and then declared, "not my will but thine be done." God loves us so much that He rejoices over us with singing Zeph. 3:17. Imagine God is so delighted with you, He loves you so much He has a song just for you, that He sings over you.
My oldest son gave me great insight into this not long ago. We had been in church and a member had been asked to pray. As the gentleman prayed he continually talked about undeserving he was. Those words disturbed my son. So after church he approached the gentleman to assure him that God loved him and he deserved God's love because God said he did. Then my son asked me why anyone would pray that way. I explained to Him it was because there is nothing we can do to earn God's love. My son understood that but he explained, "If God says you are desrving of a gift, a blessing, and His love you need to say 'Thank You Lord for loving me' and believe you deserve it or it is like not accepting God's gift at all!" Wow!!! Today thank your Heavenly Father for His gift of love and the gifts and blessings He has given you. Love yourself and believe you deserve it then use those gifts to bring glory to Him. Forgive yourself for your failures, God already has! Like my son pointed out "If God says you deserve it, then you desrve it!" Then see the difference it makes in all of your relationships!
Father, thank You for loving us before we loved you! Thank You for loving us when we are unloveable or unlovely! Help us to love ourselves like You love us so we can then love other as You love them. In Jesus name, amen.
"Love your neighbor as yourself." Sounds easy doesn't it! The key is in the second half of this verse, "as yourself." Do you...love yourself. Some may say, "Sure" or "I think so". Some may respond with "You don't know me. I am not worth loving." God calls us to love ourselves and then toove our neighbors in the same manner as we love ourselves. The problem is we know all about ourselves. We know our temptaions and how we have given in to them. We know every failure we have ever had and continue to struggle with. We have such a close relationship with ourselves that we know the dark secrets about ourselves no one else does. If we can't tolerate or forgive ourselves how can possibly tolerate or forgive others especially those we perceive as enemies.
God loves us and He believes we are worthy of His love. He loves us so much that He gave His Only Begotten Son for us. Jesus loves us so much that when the time came for Him to be crucified He asked His Father to remove the cup from Him, and then declared, "not my will but thine be done." God loves us so much that He rejoices over us with singing Zeph. 3:17. Imagine God is so delighted with you, He loves you so much He has a song just for you, that He sings over you.
My oldest son gave me great insight into this not long ago. We had been in church and a member had been asked to pray. As the gentleman prayed he continually talked about undeserving he was. Those words disturbed my son. So after church he approached the gentleman to assure him that God loved him and he deserved God's love because God said he did. Then my son asked me why anyone would pray that way. I explained to Him it was because there is nothing we can do to earn God's love. My son understood that but he explained, "If God says you are desrving of a gift, a blessing, and His love you need to say 'Thank You Lord for loving me' and believe you deserve it or it is like not accepting God's gift at all!" Wow!!! Today thank your Heavenly Father for His gift of love and the gifts and blessings He has given you. Love yourself and believe you deserve it then use those gifts to bring glory to Him. Forgive yourself for your failures, God already has! Like my son pointed out "If God says you deserve it, then you desrve it!" Then see the difference it makes in all of your relationships!
Father, thank You for loving us before we loved you! Thank You for loving us when we are unloveable or unlovely! Help us to love ourselves like You love us so we can then love other as You love them. In Jesus name, amen.
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