God's Will is to Love Him and Others

​10-28-23
Today's devotion is based on Matthew 22:34-40, “Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The religious leaders of that era had established a complex system of 613 laws. To challenge Jesus, they aimed to corner Him with this question. However, Jesus's response emphasized that God's divine will is beautifully straightforward: love for God and love for one another.
 
This kind of love, however, doesn't originate from our efforts. It flows from our relationship with God, made possible through faith in Jesus. As we grasp the depth of God's love, culminating in the sacrificial act of sending Jesus to save us, the Holy Spirit empowers us to love God wholeheartedly and to express that love by loving those around us.
 
Please pray with me: Heavenly Father, through the Holy Spirit, help me understand the immense love You have demonstrated through Jesus, my Savior. May my heart be filled with love for You, loving You with all my heart, soul, and mind, and may I extend that love to others as I love myself. Amen.