Bible Reading: John 14:18-21
"Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me." - John 14:21.
There are many, many different ways to tell someone, "I love you." You can.
• say, "I love you!"
• sing a song;
• mouth the words "I love you";
• give him or her a hug;
• send flowers;
• send a card or valentine;
• write his or her name in the snow;
• bake him or her a dozen cookies;
• read him or her a story;
• scatter tiny construction paper-hearts;
• throw a kiss; in his or her lunch box or lunch bag;
• clean his or her room;
• give that person a command.
Bet that last one surprised you, didn't it? After all, who tells someone else "I love you" by giving that person a command?
A lot of people do. Your parents probably do it all the time. They say, "Don't skateboard in the street"; "Fasten your seat belt"; and "Don't strap a giant firecracker to your back and try to shoot yourself to the moon." They don't give you such commands because they hate you. They don't tell you those things because they've got nothing better to do. They don't give you commands like that because they want to ruin your life. They give you those commands because they love you. For example, they tell you not to skateboard in the street because they don't want you to get run over by a truck. Their "commands" are ways of saying, "I love you."
God does the same thing. He has given us commands like "Don't lie," "Don't cheat," and "Flee sexual immorality" because he loves us. He wants to protect us and provide good things for us. For example, his commands to keep ourselves pure in thought, word, and deed protect us from all kinds of addictions and diseases and other bad things. His commands are ways of saying, "I love you."
And do you know how we can say, "I love you" back? Jesus said, "Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me" - (John 14:21a). If we obey his commands, we're showing Jesus that we love him. So do as much as you can today to say, "I love you, Jesus."
REFLECT: Can you think of any of God's commands that aren't loving? Why not? Are God's commands the only way he expresses his love to us? What are some other ways? Is obeying his commands the only way you can express your love for God? What are some other ways? How can you tell Jesus you love him today?
ACT: Cut out tiny construction paper hearts today and scatter them in someone's lunch box, briefcase, dresser drawer, or book bag to say, "I love you."
PRAYER: "Our Loving Father in Heaven, Thank you, God, for showing your love in all your commands. Help me to show my love for you by obeying you in what I think and do and say today. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."
Bible Reading: Judges 16:6,16-20
"So Delilah said to Samson, `Please tell me what makes you so strong'". - (Judges 16:6, NLT).
You've heard the story of Samson, right? He was the first muscleman, the first weightlifter, the first superstar athlete. He had muscles like Sylvester Stallone, a smile like Tom Cruise, and hair like Fabio.
Before Samson was born, an angel appeared to his mother and told her that she
would have a son, and that "his hair must never be cut," because he was to be "dedicated to God" (Judges 13:5, NLT). As he grew, Samson learned of his special birth and dedication to God, and the Bible says that "the Spirit of the LORD¬began to take hold of him" (Judges 13:25, NLT).
Samson soon became the "big man on campus," both physically and spiritually. He became famous among his people for his many feats of physical strength and his many victories against the Philistines (who were "the bad guys" of the story). He once killed thirty mean ol' Philistines at Ashkelon. Then, at a place called Lehi, he got a little mad one day and started swinging a donkey's jawbone that happened to be lying on the ground; when the smoke cleared, a
thousand¬Philistines lay dead on the ground!
But as strong as Samson was, he had a big weakness: beautiful women. One day he fell in love with an enchanting woman named Delilah, who soon agreed to a plot against Samson. She agreed to find out what made Samson so powerful so the Philistines could capture him.
Well, to make a long story short, Samson ended up telling Delilah, "My hair has never been cut . . . for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me and I would become as weak as anyone else" (Judges 16:17, NLT). The next time ol' Sam took a nap, Delilah
snuck a barber into the room and Samson's hair went snip snip! Before the day was over, Samson was tied up, blinded, and taken away as a prisoner.
And you thought you've¬had some bad haircuts! But you know what? A lot of people read Samson's story and make the mistake of thinking that Samson's power was in his hair. But Samson didn't get his power from his hair; his power came from the Lord! His hair was simply a symbol of his dedication to the Lord. He was captured by the Philistines, not because his hair was cut, but because "he didn't realize the LORD had left him" (Judges 16:20, NLT).
You're just like Samson. OK, so you don't have muscles the size of Cleveland, but you are like him in one respect: your strength comes from the Lord. That doesn't mean you should go out and whack a thousand Philistines with a donkey's jawbone; it means your power to resist temptation comes from God. You'll never find the power to resist temptation inside yourself. You'll never be able to defeat sin in your own strength. You can only win over temptation and sin through the power of God and the presence of his Spirit. And when you trust him moment by moment, his power will deliver you from temptation.
Reflect: The way to resist temptation in the strength of the Lord is through prayer and trust in him. Read the following lines out loud, then seek God's strength by following through on what you've said:
Before I'm faced with a temptation, I will pray (seeking God's strength through the day) When I'm faced with a temptation, I will pray (seeking God's strength for that moment) After I've resisted temptation, I will pray (thanking God for victory)
Prayer:"Our Loving Father in Heaven, I am not strong enough to resist temptation, but I know that you are; help me to resist the devil's attacks today, especially when I am tempted to. . . ." Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."
