And the God of Love and Peace Will Be With You
Date: October 3, 2024
I use the BLESS method every morning for my devotional.
B - Bible Verse
L - Listen for God's Voice and pray
E - Explore the History and meaning
S - Study the Key Words or Phrases
S - Summarize and Share
B - Bible Verse in NIV (2 Corinthians 13:11) "Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you."
L - Listen for God's Voice and pray Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love that brings us joy and peace. Help us to live in a way that radiates Your love to others. Teach us to encourage one another and seek unity. May our lives shine brightly with Your presence. In Jesus' name, Amen.
E - Explore the History and meaning Paul wrote this as a final exhortation in his second letter to the Corinthian church. The church had been experiencing conflicts and divisions, and Paul was encouraging them to come together in love and unity.
S - Study the Key Words or Phrases
"Rejoice" - Expressing joy, a fruit of being in Christ
"Encourage one another" - Building each other up in faith and love
"God of love and peace will be with you" - Promise of God's presence when we live in harmony
S - Summarize and Share (Radiant in Christ's Love theme) Don't these words from Paul just make your heart want to glow with God's love? You know, when Paul wrote this, he was wrapping up his letter to a church that had been going through some tough times. They'd had arguments, divisions – you name it. But Paul doesn't end on a down note. Instead, he gives them – and us – this beautiful picture of what it looks like to be radiant with Christ's love.
First, he says to rejoice! Can you imagine how that must have sounded to a church dealing with problems? But that's the thing about being radiant in Christ's love – it brings a joy that shines even when circumstances are difficult. It's like having a light inside that nothing can dim.
Then Paul talks about striving for full restoration and encouraging one another. That's what happens when we're truly aglow with Christ's love – we can't help but want to lift others up, to see broken relationships mended, to spread that warmth and light to everyone around us.
And how about that call to be of one mind and live in peace? When we're radiant with Christ's love, it naturally draws us together. It's like we're all little lights, and when we come together in unity, we create this brilliant, beautiful glow that the world can't ignore.
But here's the part that really makes me want to shine: Paul says that when we live this way, the God of love and peace will be with us. Can you imagine that? The source of all love, all peace, all light, dwelling with us, making us radiant with His presence?
So today, let's choose to let Christ's love shine through us. Let's be the ones who bring joy into difficult situations. Let's be the encouragers, the peacemakers, the unity-builders. Let's live in such a way that people can't help but notice the glow of God's love radiating from our lives.
Remember, we don't have to manufacture this radiance on our own. It's not about trying harder or putting on a show. It's about opening our hearts to God's love and letting it flow through us. When we do that, we can't help but shine!
3 Bible Cross References:
Philippians 2:14-15
Matthew 5:16
1 John 4:7-8
Question for the audience: How can you let Christ's love shine through you in a practical way today? Share a simple idea in the comments – your light might inspire someone else to shine brighter too!