Daily Bible Reading “God Loves Us” ( John 3:16-17)

Posted on February 18, 2024 by Deborah H. Bateman

God Loves Us

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.

Daily Bible Verse:

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that …

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whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

– John 3:16

–Excerpt from God Is Love ~ Deborah H. Bateman

Christian Music Video:

Featured Book:

God Is Love

by Deborah H. Bateman

About the book:

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

Available on Amazon

Get your copy now!

Have a blessed day,

Deborah

Recipe for Life

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Daily Bible Reading “Husbands Love Your Wives” (Colossians 3:19)

Posted on February 8, 2024 by Deborah H. Bateman

Husbands Love Your Wives

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.

Daily Bible Verse:

Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. – Colossians 3:19

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–Excerpt from God Is Love ~ Deborah H. Bateman

Christian Music Video:

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.

Featured Book:

God Is Love

by Deborah H. Bateman

About the book:

Available on Amazon

Get your copy now!

Have a blessed day,

Deborah

Recipe for Life

Like Deborah H. Bateman on Facebook

Daily Bible Reading “Love One Another” (John 15:12-27)

Posted on February 7, 2024 by Deborah H. Bateman

Love One Another

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from John 15:12-27. In this Scripture, Jesus is talking to His disciples; right before He went to be crucified. Jesus tells them, “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.” He didn’t tell them to love each other if they felt like it. Jesus wanted them to commit to love each other.

Make the decision to love someone whether you feel like it or not. Even in our families there might be times when we don’t feel like loving each other. But we should love each other anyway, because we are committed to love them.

Even so, we should love our brothers and sisters in Christ because Jesus tells us to love one another. What better example than that of Jesus who taught us how to love others? This kind of love is not an emotional love, but rather a decision to love one another.

Jesus reminds His disciples, “Greater love has no man than this that He lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus says, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” He tells the disciples they didn’t choose Him, but He chose them and ordained them to bear fruit, that whatever they ask the Father in His name, He may give it to them.

Not everybody we meet is going to love us. Jesus reminds the disciples of this by telling them if the world hates them or mistreats them they should not be dismayed because they knew the world hated Him and His Father before it hated them. Jesus explains to them that since He came into the world and told the world about their sin, they had no covering for their sin.

Those who didn’t want to accept Jesus as their Savior hated Him and His Father. Not everyone you try to share the gospel with will accept Jesus, and they may not like you for sharing it, even though you are trying to help them.

Another way God showed His love for us is by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell with us. Jesus promises the disciples that He will send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, unto them from the Father and He will testify of Jesus. He tells them they also will bear witness of Him, because they were with Him from the beginning. God didn’t want to leave us alone so He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell with us.

God wants us to have this same kind of love for one another that He has for us, the kind of love that cares for one another.

Daily Bible Reading:

John 15:12-27

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

Things to think about:

Why does Jesus want us to love one another?
How do you know you have the love of Jesus in your heart?
When do you find it hard to love others?

Prayer of the Day:

Dear God,

Please help us to love one another as Jesus commanded in this Scripture. Help us not to go by our feelings, but to make a decision in our hearts and lives to love anyway. As we live in this world help us to bear witness of You and Your Son, and share Your love with others. In Jesus’ name, we pray. We love You, LORD. Amen.

Daily Bible Verse:

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. – John 15:12

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–Excerpt from God Is Love ~ Deborah H. Bateman

Christian Music Video: “Love One Another” – Michael W. Smith

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.