One Word
This winter on The Daily Pattern we’re in a series called One Word. Each day we take one word – a feeling or circumstance – and bring a word from God to it. Let the Word of God speak to your life.
Invocation
Make the sign of the cross, and say,
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation Prayer
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matt. 5:4) O Lord, I suffer grief and loss. You alone are my comfort. Amen.
Word: 1 John 3:16
“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”
Meditation
Love by Allison Lewis
Take a minute and picture someone you love deeply. Close your eyes if you need to. Who is this person? Maybe it’s a spouse, a child, a grandchild, a parent, or a best friend. Do you see them?
Now, take a moment to ask yourself— what do you love most about this person? Is it their laugh? Their smile? Maybe it’s the passion that they infuse into their career, or the way that they tell stories to a group of friends. Maybe this person is a gifted musician, a budding artist or a creative writer. Maybe he is the ultimate girl dad and softball coach, or she is an extremely devoted wife and mother.
Now, think about the following scenario: the person you pictured above needs help. They are in a desperate situation, and they call you, asking for you to come to their aid. What do you say to them?
I’m going to guess that you would drop everything to go and help your loved one. It wouldn’t matter if you were 10 hours away, or 10 blocks away. It wouldn’t matter if you were in the middle of dinner with an important prospective client or if you were at home on the couch trying to catch your breath after a long day.
What does matter is that you would stop and go help your person.
That’s what love is. That’s what love does.
And it’s exactly what Jesus did for you and me.
Jesus loved us so much that he stopped what he was doing to go to the cross to save us from our sins. He paid the ultimate price and made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could live with him forever. Jesus laid down his life for us (1 John 3:16).
That’s true, unconditional love in its purest form. It’s the best kind of love. And it’s free for you and me, through Jesus.
On this Valentine’s Day, I challenge you to share the love of Jesus with someone who doesn’t yet know him or his love.
Dear Lord, thank you for loving us unconditionally. Thank you for sending Jesus to the cross to save us from sin. Help me to share your love with those around me. Amen.
Prayer for Life as a Child of God
· For the Father to give me care and guidance.
· For forgiveness when I wander and want my own way.
· For the Father to keep me childlike in faith even as I age.
· For growth in faith, that I love and trust in God above all things.
· For strength to obey God.
· For the Father to heal my hurts.
· For assurance when I doubt.
Closing Prayer
O Lord, your ways are not our ways. Teach us your will, even when it appears backwards. We want to know you. We want what you want. Thy will be done, in Jesus’ name. Amen.