Walk in Love | Kristi's Morning Devotional

Several years ago I planted a rose bush in our front courtyard. The blooms aren’t very big but they are plentiful. They have a beautiful yellow base, tipped in red.

Once a week I go out and prune the blooms that have dropped their petals. There are always new buds getting ready to open. I love to see the new growth.

Our lives are much like that rose bush. With the right amount of sunlight, water and care we blossom. We grow and fill our little world with beauty.

“Stay joined to me and I will stay joined to you. No branch can produce fruit alone. It must stay connected to the vine. It is the same with you. You cannot produce fruit alone. You must stay joined to me. 5 “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I to you, you will produce plenty of fruit. But separated from me you won’t be able to do anything. 6 If you don’t stay joined to me, you will be like a branch that has been thrown out and has dried up. All the dead branches like that are gathered up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 Stay joined together with me, and follow my teachings. If you do this, you can ask for anything you want, and it will be given to you. 8 Show that you are my followers by producing much fruit. This will bring honor to my Father. 9 “I have loved you as the Father has loved me. Now continue in my love. 10 I have obeyed my Father’s commands, and he continues to love me. In the same way, if you obey my commands, I will continue to love you. 11 I have told you these things so that you can have the true happiness that I have. I want you to be completely happy. 12 This is what I command you: Love each other as I have loved you. ” John 15: 4-12 ERV

See how many times in these few verses Jesus repeats “stay joined to me”? Go back and read it again and let it sink in.

Stay Joined to Me!

When we are joined to Him we produce fruit. Beautiful blossoms just like my rose bush. Our fruit, love for one another, brings beauty into the world and brings joy into our lives.

Stay Joined to Me!

Jesus isn’t separating from us. In fact, we have His promise in Hebrews that He will NEVER, no NEVER leave us or abandon us.

“Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed—be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” 6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently say,“The Lord is my Helper [in time of need], I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6 AMP

We don’t have to be greedy and selfish when we are joined to Him. The vine supplies all we need for a good, healthy and prosperous life. What a wonderful promise. Never, under any circumstances, will He desert, abandon, forsake or let us down! Never!

Stay Joined to Jesus.

His commandment to love is what produces good fruit in our lives. It causes us to blossom. He promises us true happiness and His constant companionship, in this way we bring the beauty of Christ to our world.

A while back the strangest thing happened. Dave and I were sitting in the living room watching a movie and we both started having problems with allergies, or at least that’s what I am claiming.

We both began to get the sniffles and my eyes started to water. Ok, let’s face it – it wasn’t allergies at all, it was the movie. It had me crying. I highly recommend watching the movie or reading the book, Same Kind of Different As Me.

This based on a true story movie tells of the relationship between a well-to-do woman and a down-and-out man. She lives in a big fancy house and he lives on the streets. Their story is one we can all learn from.

This movie portrays how we fall in to the trap of judging others just by their outward appearance. My, that has been going on for a very long time.

When the Lord sent Samuel out to find a king for Israel he went to David’s father and he looked for a tall, muscular, mature man. However, God had different criteria.

“When Jesse and his sons arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, ‘Surely this is the man who the Lord has chosen.’ ⁷But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Eliab is tall and handsome, but don’t judge by things like that. God doesn’t look at what people see. People judge by what is on the outside, but the Lord looks at the heart. Eliab is not the right man’…¹²Jesse sent someone to get his youngest son. This son was a good-looking, healthy young man. He was very handsome. The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Get up and anoint him. He is the one.’” I Samuel 16:6-12 ERV

Jesse, David’s father, hadn’t even considered that his youngest son was qualified or good enough to meet with Samuel. David was left out with the sheep when the priest came to dinner. But God knew who He wanted, he was looking for someone with a heart for Him.

Jesus never looked at a man or woman’s appearance or their occupation when He was here on earth. He followed his Father’s example and associated with those who had opened their hearts to God. It didn’t matter that they were fishermen, tax collectors, prostitutes and others of low esteem.

James, the brother of Jesus, gave this instruction in the book of the Bible he wrote.

“My dear brothers and sisters, you are believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. So don’t treat some people better than others. ²Suppose someone comes into your meeting wearing very nice clothes and a gold ring. At the same time a poor person comes in wearing old, dirty clothes. ³You show special attention to the person wearing nice clothes…⁵Listen, my dear brothers and sisters. God chose the poor people in the world to be rich in faith. He chose them to receive the kingdom God promised to those who love him…⁸One law rules over all other laws. This royal law is found in the Scriptures: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.’ If you obey this law, you are doing right. ⁹But if you are treating one person as more important than another, you are sinning. You are guilty of breaking God’s law.” James 2:1-9 ERV

I will tell you that I was convicted by that movie. I felt great compassion for the people who were playing the roles. This is a true story but I had to honestly ask myself if I would have reacted with the same loving heart that they did. I pray I would have.

I find myself asking the Lord to show me areas in my life where I need to grow and change. Then I sit down to relax for an evening and watch a movie and God shows up and teaches me a life lesson.

The same loving God has blessed each person on this earth with air to breathe and the sun that shines. He sees a divine purpose in each of us.

We may be different but He loves us all the same!

Tag: Walk in Love

A Rose Is A Rose

Crying? I’m Not Crying!