Devotions
BOTH WAYS
Listen to this awesome passage from 1 John the 4th chapter.
- 1 John 4:8 – 9 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us. He sent His one and only son into the world that we might live through Him.
Any good relationship has to go both ways. When your mom says you don’t’ call me enough – it’s hard not to feel that the phone works both ways. I’ve told you before about calling my mom and she answered so weakly with a frail hello. I said mom are you okay – and she said I haven’t eaten in weeks. I said why not, she said I didn’t want to take a chance and have food in my mouth if you called. Again any good relationship works both ways.
It’s not surprising that John writes what we just read because of the nickname that he gave himself. Usually you get your nicknames from others – rarely do you give it to yourself. And do you know how John describes himself? Often times instead of saying his name he calls himself….
- “The disciple whom Jesus loved”
That is awesome – and I wonder if the other disciples read that they were thinking so we are the disciples Jesus doesn’t love? Now I learned this passage in 1 John in the King James version. And 1 John 4:7 in the King James reads this way.
- 1 John 4:7 – Beloved, let us love one another. For love is of God and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God.
It’s that first word that gets my attention. Beloved is not a word we use much but I like it especially if you split it up.
- Be/loved
The cross that Jesus died on had two beams – the vertical one his body hung on and the horizontal one where they stretched out his arms. In other words the cross goes both ways. It connects us to the love of the Father – and it directs us to love each other. Every good relationship goes both ways.
