Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from John 3:16-17. In this Scripture, we are told of the greatest love of all. We can’t possibly imagine how much God loves us. Think about the sacrifice He made when He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for us.
We find this in John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
For those of you who are parents, can you imagine giving your only son’s life for people you didn’t even have a relationship with? I know this was part of God’s plan, but I hope as we think about it as parents we can see what an awesome sacrifice this was. Both Jesus and God made this sacrifice so we could have eternal life.
There may be some parents who may relate to this better than most of us, those who have lost their children fighting in combat to give freedom to the rest of us. I recently went to a funeral of a soldier that I knew from my hometown. It was so sad for me. I can’t imagine how grieved the parents must have been. I am sure it grieved God’s heart to sacrifice His Son’s life.
God didn’t send His Son into this world to condemn us of our sins, but to save us from our sins. See, God knows us better than anybody and He knew we would never be able to keep the laws of God in our own human nature. So He gave His Son, Jesus, as the sacrifice for our sins.
God showed His love for us, because while we were still sinners He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die for us. Romans 5:8 tell us, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Because of Adam and Eve’s fall, back in the Garden of Eden, we were all born into sin. God acclaimed His love for us by having Christ die for us before we were ever born so He could take our place and pay the price for our sins. Have you accepted this love gift of salvation God provided for you?
Things to think about:
Where would we be if it weren’t for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross?
Are you thankful for Jesus’ sacrifice?
Do you thank God for loving us so much?
Do you share God’s love with others?
Prayer of the Day:
Dear God,
We thank You for this Scripture in the Bible that tells us how much You love us. We realize it was an awesome sacrifice for You to give Your only Son Jesus’ life for our sins. We thank You for the sacrifice You made on our behalf. We thank You for having a plan for us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
God is Love is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman. It contains 19 daily devotionals on Scriptures about love from the Bible: including God’s love for us, the love relationship between a husband and wife, love and honoring our parents, and much more.
This devotional would be great for either a personal daily devotions or group Bible studies, including small groups, and Sunday school classes. Each devotional contains a brief commentary by the author, the daily Bible Scripture, a prayer of the day, and several questions for personal reflection or group discussion.
In God is Love, Deborah strives to show you not only what love is, but that love comes from God, as well as the love of God surpasses all imagination. Her goal for you as you read this book is that you would realize how much God loves you.
Benefits of reading God is Love
• You will learn what love is
• You will learn about different kinds of love
• You will learn how much God loves you
• You will learn of the sacrifice made by God because of His love for you
PS. Thank you for coming to DeborahHBateman.com to study the Bible with us. Please come back again tomorrow and invite your friends and family to join us for Bible Study.
If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to Deborah H. Bateman to receive the Daily Bible Reading Lessons in your inbox.
Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Genesis 29:1-35. In this Scripture, Jacob found the love of his life, Rachel, but he was deceived by her father, Laban. Jacob went east and came to a well in the field where there were sheep and servants in the field. He later found out they belonged to his Uncle Laban. When Jacob saw Laban’s daughter coming with the sheep, he removed the stone from the well for the sheep to drink, then he kissed Rachel. This was love at first sight.
Jacob tells Rachel who he is, then she rushes back home to tell her father that her cousin, Jacob, was at the well. Laban runs out to meet Jacob, kissed him and brought him to his house to stay. After Jacob was living at Laban’s house for a month, Laban asked Jacob what he could pay him for helping him. Jacob requested Rachel to be his wife. Laban promised Jacob if he worked for him for seven years he could have Rachel for his wife.
Can you imagine how much Jacob loved Rachel, to be willing to work for her father for seven years so he could have her for his wife? After Jacob worked for Laban for seven years he went to Laban and asked him for Rachel’s hand in marriage. Laban prepared a wedding feast for Jacob, but instead of giving him Rachel, Laban tricked Jacob and gave him Rachel’s sister Leah to be his wife.
The next morning when Jacob went to Laban and asked him why he did what he did, Laban said they had a custom that they couldn’t marry off the youngest daughter until they had taken care of the firstborn. This was probably a reminder to Jacob since he stole his brother, Esau’s birthright.
Then, Laban tells Jacob, if he worked for him for seven more years he would give him his younger daughter Rachel to be his wife. Jacob loved Rachel so much he was willing to work for her father seven more years in order to have Rachel as his wife. Jacob did as Laban requested and completed Leah’s bridal week before Laban allowed Jacob to have Rachel as his wife also. Jacob loved Rachel much more than he loved Leah.
The Lord saw Leah was hated and Rachel was loved, so he opened Leah’s womb so she could bear children, but Rachel was barren. Leah kept having children for Jacob in hopes it would cause Jacob to love her more than he loved Rachel.
In Biblical times much importance was put on having children. There are women today who may want to have children, but haven’t been blessed with them yet. My husband and I went for over eight years trying to have children before God finally blessed us with our girls. It was a very emotional time for me especially. I can relate to Rachel and how she must have felt. At times I felt grieved about not being able to have children. I imagine Rachel felt the same way. She also had the other woman to deal with. This only caused more jealousy between Rachael and Leah. Leah couldn’t earn Jacob’s love. His heart was devoted to Rachel.
God knows you can’t have two masters. The Bible says in Luke 16:13, “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” True love is giving one person your undivided love and attention.
Proverbs 6:34-35 reminds us, “For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.” The jealousy between these two sisters caused a lot of trouble for Jacob for many years.
Daily Bible Reading:
Genesis 29:1-35
1 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.
2 And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well’s mouth.
3 And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place.
4 And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
5 And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.
6 And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.
7 And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.
8 And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.
9 And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them.
10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.
11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son: and she ran and told her father.
13 And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.
14 And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.
15 And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?
16 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.
19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.
20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.
22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.
23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.
25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?
26 And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.
31 And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
33 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.
34 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.
35 And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.
Things to think about:
Do you wonder what it was about Rachel that made Jacob fall in love with her at first sight?
Can you imagine working for seven years for a bride and then getting the wrong one?
Think about the way Rachel felt when God blessed Leah and allowed her to have children for Jacob, while Rachel was barren.
Prayer of the Day:
Dear God,
There are many lessons we can learn from this Scripture in the Bible. You demonstrated through this Scripture that we can only have true love for one person at a time and trying to do anything other than that will cause a lot of jealousy and trouble for everybody concerned. Help us, dear God, to be faithful to our partners and to love them in the way You would have us to. Help us to love You, and put You first in our lives. Bless our homes and our families. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
PS. Thank you for coming to DeborahHBateman.com to study the Bible with us. Please come back again tomorrow and invite your friends and family to join us for Bible Study.
God is Love is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman. It contains 19 daily devotionals on Scriptures about love from the Bible: including God’s love for us, the love relationship between a husband and wife, love and honoring our parents, and much more.
This devotional would be great for either a personal daily devotions or group Bible studies, including small groups, and Sunday school classes. Each devotional contains a brief commentary by the author, the daily Bible Scripture, a prayer of the day, and several questions for personal reflection or group discussion.
In God is Love, Deborah strives to show you not only what love is, but that love comes from God, as well as the love of God surpasses all imagination. Her goal for you as you read this book is that you would realize how much God loves you.
Benefits of reading God is Love
• You will learn what love is
• You will learn about different kinds of love
• You will learn how much God loves you
• You will learn of the sacrifice made by God because of His love for you
Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Luke 6:27-38. In this Scripture, Jesus is talking to His disciples, and is telling them to love their enemies. It is much easier to love the people who love you, such as your family and your friends. It is another thing to love the people who curse you, spitefully use you, hit you, or steal from you. But Jesus says, as Christians, we should love those people as well. How are we supposed to love our enemies?
Loving our enemies isn’t something we can do on our own. It is only something we can do with the Lord’s help and with the Holy Spirit living in us. Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies. He says everybody loves the people who love them, but He expects us to go beyond that, and show a Christ-like love to everybody. He even wants us to love those who don’t love us or mistreat us.
In Luke 6:35, Jesus says, “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” Jesus says to be merciful, as their Father is merciful. He is talking about their Heavenly Father, not their earthly father.
Jesus tells them not to judge or condemn, but to forgive and they shall be forgiven. Then in verse thirty-eight He says to, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” If we are generous and giving with people, they will be generous and giving with us. If we are stingy and selfish with people then they will most likely treat us the same way.
This is a lesson we can all take today. Because it is easy to love the people who love us and do good to the people who do good to us. But, with God’s help, we can learn to love the people who don’t love us. We can learn to do good to the people who don’t do good to us. We can learn to be loving and generous by giving to those who never can repay us.
Daily Bible Reading:
Luke 6:27-38
27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.
30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Things to think about:
How can we love our enemies?
How can we do good to those who don’t do good to us?
Do you give to those who can never repay you?
Do you pray for those who spitefully use you?
Prayer of the Day:
Dear God,
Please help us to do what Jesus talked about in this Scripture. Help us to love our enemies, and do good to those who don’t do good to us. Help us to be generous and give to those who can never repay us. Help us not to judge or condemn others. God, this is a big task for us, and if we tried to do it in our own power, we would fail. The only way we can do these things is with Your help. We acknowledge that we need Your help. Help us, Lord. In Jesus’ name, we pray. We love You, LORD. Amen.
PS. Thank you for coming to DeborahHBateman.com to study the Bible with us. Please come back again tomorrow and invite your friends and family to join us for Bible Study.
God is Love is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman. It contains 19 daily devotionals on Scriptures about love from the Bible: including God’s love for us, the love relationship between a husband and wife, love and honoring our parents, and much more.
This devotional would be great for either a personal daily devotions or group Bible studies, including small groups, and Sunday school classes. Each devotional contains a brief commentary by the author, the daily Bible Scripture, a prayer of the day, and several questions for personal reflection or group discussion.
In God is Love, Deborah strives to show you not only what love is, but that love comes from God, as well as the love of God surpasses all imagination. Her goal for you as you read this book is that you would realize how much God loves you.
Benefits of reading God is Love
• You will learn what love is
• You will learn about different kinds of love
• You will learn how much God loves you
• You will learn of the sacrifice made by God because of His love for you
Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Romans 5:1-9. In this Scripture, we are told if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, we are justified by faith and have peace with God through Jesus. Do you have peace with God?
Some of you may not know you didn’t have peace with God. Through Adam’s disobedience to God back in the Garden of Eden sin entered into the world, so we were all born into sin. There is nothing we can do to rationalize our sin. But we don’t have to remain in sin, because God sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the price for our sins on the cross.
God, through His grace, gave us the free gift of salvation. All we have to do is believe and receive it. The Scripture says because of this we can glory in our tribulations. Tribulations (trials) bring patience, patience brings experience, and through experience we find hope in the Lord. Do you find it hard to find joy in your tribulations?
Tribulations=Patience=Experience=Hope
The love of God is then in our hearts through the Holy Spirit that God gives to us when we accept Jesus as our Savior. God showed His great love for us by having His Son, Jesus; shed His blood on the cross to cover our sins. Do you know the love of God?
Daily Bible Reading:
Romans 5:1-9
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Things to think about:
Have you been justified by faith to God through His Son, Jesus?
Did you realize you could glory in your tribulations?
What are the results of tribulations?
How do we get the love of God in our hearts?
Prayer of the Day:
Dear God,
We thank You for Your love for us. We thank You for Your Son, Jesus, who died on the cross to cover our sins. We thank You that we can be justified though our faith in Him. We thank You that we can have peace with You, through Jesus. Help us to accept Your gracious gift. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
PS. Thank you for coming to DeborahHBateman.com to study the Bible with us. Please come back again tomorrow and invite your friends and family to join us for Bible Study.
God is Love is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman. It contains 19 daily devotionals on Scriptures about love from the Bible: including God’s love for us, the love relationship between a husband and wife, love and honoring our parents, and much more.
This devotional would be great for either a personal daily devotions or group Bible studies, including small groups, and Sunday school classes. Each devotional contains a brief commentary by the author, the daily Bible Scripture, a prayer of the day, and several questions for personal reflection or group discussion.
In God is Love, Deborah strives to show you not only what love is, but that love comes from God, as well as the love of God surpasses all imagination. Her goal for you as you read this book is that you would realize how much God loves you.
Benefits of reading God is Love
• You will learn what love is
• You will learn about different kinds of love
• You will learn how much God loves you
• You will learn of the sacrifice made by God because of His love for you
Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Colossians 3:19. Colossians 3:19: “Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.”
Do you find it funny that in the same Scripture that talks about husbands loving their wives also tells them not to be bitter against them? Do you think this may be a problem? We are going to look at those two words, love and bitter, to see what they mean, according to the Blue Letter Bible Dictionary.
Love:
To welcome
To entertain
To be contented with
To be well pleased with
To be fond of
To love dearly
Bitter:
To render anger
To be indignant
To be embittered
To be irritated
To grieve
To deal bitterly with
This particular Scripture is for husbands, but it would probably do us all good to take heed to its instruction. Sometimes in the husband-wife relationship, with the trials of life, if we aren’t careful we can let bitterness, anger, and discontentment creep in.
The husband-wife relationship is one of the most important relationships we have here on this earth, besides our relationship with the Lord. How we interact with each other is an example to our children as to how they should interact with others.
Sometimes we have more patience and tolerance with our friends or co-workers than we do with our own families. When we live in the house day after day with people, over time it is easy to take them for granted. Sometimes the smallest things will start to get on our nerves and we will lose our patience with each other. We need to be alert as to how we treat each other.
In our minds, if we go back to the day we were married. Remember some of the reasons we fell in love to begin with. It is a good idea to write some of the things we love about our spouses and read them occasionally to remind ourselves why we fell in love and why we chose this person to share our life. Also, as time goes on and we mature in our relationships, the relationship may change, but the underlying reasons for love are still there.
We need to remember we aren’t promised tomorrow and we never know what the future may bring in our lives and in our homes. Try to remember this Scripture and strive to love more and to be less bitter.
Things to think about:
What are some of the definitions of love?
How do you practice love?
What are some of the definitions of bitter?
How do you show bitterness in your marriage?
How can we make our relationships better?
Prayer of the Day:
Dear God,
As we read this Scripture we see the importance of loving each other and not being bitter against our spouses. Help us, Lord, as we live, to practice this principle. Help us to be more loving. Help us to be less angry, bitter, intolerant, and irritated. Help us to show a Christ-like love for our spouses. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
PS. Thank you for coming to DeborahHBateman.com to study the Bible with us. Please come back again tomorrow and invite your friends and family to join us for Bible Study.
God is Love is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman. It contains 19 daily devotionals on Scriptures about love from the Bible: including God’s love for us, the love relationship between a husband and wife, love and honoring our parents, and much more.
This devotional would be great for either a personal daily devotions or group Bible studies, including small groups, and Sunday school classes. Each devotional contains a brief commentary by the author, the daily Bible Scripture, a prayer of the day, and several questions for personal reflection or group discussion.
In God is Love, Deborah strives to show you not only what love is, but that love comes from God, as well as the love of God surpasses all imagination. Her goal for you as you read this book is that you would realize how much God loves you.
Benefits of reading God is Love
• You will learn what love is
• You will learn about different kinds of love
• You will learn how much God loves you
• You will learn of the sacrifice made by God because of His love for you
God Loves Us
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