Above Only Daily Devotional http://cgmglobal.org/aboveonly Sunday, FEBRUARY 11 Walking in Love is Walking in the Light

Above Only Daily Devotional
http://cgmglobal.org/aboveonly

Sunday, FEBRUARY 11

Walking in Love is Walking in the Light

John 1:4 (LB), Matthew 5:15-16 (LB), 1 John 2:9-10 (LB)
Eternal life is in him, and this life gives light to all mankind. *Don't hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father. * Anyone who says he is walking in the light of Christ but dislikes his fellow man is still in darkness. But whoever loves his fellow man is "walking in the light" and can see his way without stumbling around in darkness and sin.

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God is light and love. 1John 1:5b declares that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. 1John 4:8 says, “whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” When you are walking in love, you are walking in the light. You are giving expression to the life and nature of God that is in you and you are walking in God's righteous ways. The truth is that we will be tempted severally to respond negatively in hatred, anger, bitterness and wickedness to people; but we must recognise that such temptations are deceptions to cause us to walk in darkness or our former nature. We are not of darkness anymore; we are new creatures in Christ and we are now of the light.

We must view such experiences as opportunities to grow in the light and nature of God that is in us. We must believe and yield ourselves to God because He is at work, making us willing and able to do His will, i.e., to walk in the light. We must view such experiences as opportunities to let our light so shine before men that they know that we are true children of God who bear His nature of love. Light shines brightest in the dark. Jesus cautioned us that if we only show love to those that love us, we are no different from people of the world, Matthew 5:44-47. Instead, He wants us to be like God who grants sun and rain to both the good and the evil. We must not stay angry for long so our anger will not cause us to sin, Eph.4:26. Man's anger does not produce God's righteousness, James 1:20.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I receive Your grace to consider every time I am offended an opportunity to grow in love and walk in the light.

BIBLE IN A YEAR READING PLAN: LEVITICUS 11-12; MATTHEW 26:1-25

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