Adeola Akinsemoyin @mantha

Have you ever stumbled through a dark room, or tried to walk around at night when there were no lights? Maybe you ran into a wall or hit your foot on something.

Do you remember how great it was to turn on the light so you could see where you were walking?

God’s Word says that we similarly walk in the darkness. Life apart from Jesus is characterized by darkness. When we try to live life by our own sight, we inevitably fail.

Jesus is the light that shines within the darkness of the world around us, and within our own lives. He illuminates the truth so that we don’t have to remain captive to our old ways, but can be transformed by Jesus and His grace.

Without His light shining in the darkness, we would be lost and without hope.

Jesus is also the one who directs our paths. Just like how we stumble through darkness without a physical light, Jesus is the light that illuminates the way of life for us.

John 1:5 also tells us that the light of Jesus cannot be overcome by anything. There are no spiritual powers or world events that can overcome the light of Jesus. And there is nothing that anyone can do to separate us from the love and light of God.

Spend some time today in prayer, thanking Jesus for the salvation that you have, but also asking Him to continue to illuminate the path of life for you. Then, let the light of Jesus shine through you in the way you love those around you.

Credit: YouVersion

If you had access to all the luxuries you could dream of, would you voluntarily give them up? If you had riches beyond your wildest imagination, would you lay them all down for someone you love? 

That’s what Jesus did.

“He gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT

Jesus gave up His divine privileges, temporarily, so that He could be with His people. So that He could pay their debt and redeem them back to Himself. 

Because of that, God “elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names.” (Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬ NLT‬‬)

So if you consider yourself to be a follower of Jesus, you are naturally called to follow Him. To reflect His love. And to, daily, die to yourself.

Though the call to die to oneself can be literal in some cases, more often, it's symbolic. It means giving up what we want in favor of something that can have an eternal impact.

Maybe, instead of bingeing a TV show or scrolling social media, you visit someone in the hospital, take a meal to someone who’s hurting, or help a single parent.

Maybe, instead of rushing to get everything on your busy schedule finished, you take the time to read the Bible with a child, befriend someone who’s lonely, or be present with the people around you.

Maybe, instead of waiting for God to send opportunities your way, you seek out those who are desperate for Him—and help them see why He occupies the place of highest honor in your life.

The great news is, you’ve been empowered to do what Jesus did.

Credit:YouVersion

In Matthew 22, we see the religious leaders of Jesus’ day trying to trip Him up with hard questions. One of the questions asked of Him was this:

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”  

In an effort to trap Jesus, this Pharisee asked Him something designed to expose ignorance or false teaching or anything else they could hold against Jesus and His ministry.

But Jesus was ready.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 
Matthew 22:37-39 ESV

Such a succinct, truthful answer did the opposite of what the religious leaders had hoped for. It didn’t discredit Jesus. It validated that He was who He said He was. He didn’t get cornered. He didn’t get flustered. He simply and without wavering, clarified the foundation of everything.

What was Jesus saying?

Loving God with our whole hearts and loving others as we love ourselves—these two things are more important than anything else. They are the foundation of life as a believer. Not being right. Not obtaining possessions or wealth. Not having everything in life just the way we want. Loving God. Loving people.

But here’s the thing— the only way we can ever love people well is if we first devote ourselves to loving God and allow ourselves to be loved by Him. How? Like any relationship, there are ways to facilitate growth:

- Spend time in His Word
- Have honest conversations with Him
- Reflect on His character every day

As your love for God grows and grows, your heart for people often will, too. Showing love for God looks like doing what He commands—and that includes loving the people around us the way that God loves us.

The great news? God loves you so much. He loves you right now. And He is inviting you to know and experience His love today.

Credit:YouVersion

For years, nothing in King David’s life looked “good.” His family underestimated him, giants despised him, and his father in law spent years trying to kill him. But the whole time, David clung to a promise that God would establish him, and make him king of Israel. 

David never gave up or gave in—he stayed close to God, and waited for Him to act. And when God acts, this is how David responds: 

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV

Despite the pain David endured, he knew that even when life didn’t look good, he still served his good God. And this same God actively fights for us.

Through His Son, Jesus, He has given us continual access to Himself. We can never lose His unfailing love toward us—a love that endures forever, no matter what goes on around us.  

David recognized this, and proclaimed it. And every day, we have the opportunity to do the same thing. 

Here are 2 practical ways we can respond to God’s goodness and love:

- Thank Him in Prayer
When Jesus was teaching His disciples to pray, he told them to start like this: “Our Father in heaven, help us to honor Your name.” It’s fine to ask God for things, but real relationships include both take and give. So at least once a day for the next week, go to God in prayer, and thank Him for something He’s done, without asking Him for anything in return. 

- Share Your Story
The writer of Hebrews encourages us to honor God by “proclaiming our allegiance to his name” (Hebrews 13:15-16). So what has God done for you? Where have you seen Him provide, protect, show up, or show off through your life? Look for natural opportunities to share what God is doing in you with someone else. 

Right now, reflect on your life and thank God for His eternal goodness. Nothing you have faced or will face is too much for the God who loves you and died for you. Bring Him your concerns, surrender your expectations, and allow Him to reveal the evidence of His goodness in your life.

Credit: YouVersion

All throughout the Bible, Scripture is abundantly clear that love is at the center of what it is to be a follower of Jesus.

In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love God with everything we are.

In John 13:35, Jesus says that people will know we’re His disciples because of the way that we love others. We won’t be recognized by our knowledge of the Bible, our families, the career paths we take, or the amount of time spent at church. While those are all important things, Jesus says that the most important quality is how we love other people.

1 Peter 4:8 tells us the same thing: we should be among the most loving people on earth, and our goal should be to love each other deeply. Peter, the author of this verse, also says love is the key to forgiving others. Just as we have been forgiven by Jesus, our love for other people should encourage us to forgive those who have wronged us.

Forgiving those who have mistreated us is one of the hardest things to do—it requires that we love deeply. That’s why forgiveness is evidence of a life marked by God’s love.

So if your closest friends were asked about your top qualities, what would they say? Would your top quality be how loving you are towards others? If not, know that you’re not alone. None of us are perfect, and we can all do better at this. Today, ask God to show you ways you can show love to those around you. Let Him fill your heart with love for others.

Credit: YouVersion

Have you heard the good news? In 2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭17, the apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth: “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

God created us and called us good, but we were born into a fallen world. A beautiful-yet-broken world. A stunning-yet-sinful world. A world where many would rather choose their own way instead of following and submitting to God. A world where others try to earn their own salvation, but fall painfully short. 

By the sheer grace of God, He has made a way for sinners through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the One who specializes in making all things new.

Paul goes on to say in his letter: 

“And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

To reconcile, by definition, means to “make peace” or to “restore a relationship.”

If you’ve known the love, grace, forgiveness, and redemption of God, who—through Christ—reconciled you back to Himself, then you have everything you need to help others receive the same gift.

God has empowered you with the ministry of reconciliation—of restoring others back to Him. This reconciliation can happen anywhere: in coffee shops, in corporate offices, in classrooms, and in kitchens. You can remind a child about the grace that’s available to them when they make a mistake. You can remind an adult that they cannot sin so much or so badly they cannot receive the mercy of God.

Wherever people need God, He stands ready to be used by you.

God has entrusted and empowered you to shine His light, show His love, and help others be restored back into His arms.

Credit: YouVersion

Day 2 of God of wonders, God of perfection.

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