| August 9-16 Holiness: August 9. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might (Deuteronomy 6:5). Moreover, the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, so that you will love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live (Deuteronomy 30:6). August 10. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself� The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt (Leviticus 19:18, 34). Dear God, you are our neighbor, you are the alien in our midst. Teach us to love you rather than fear you, and teach us to trust in you. August 11. (Mark 12:13-17). In his book �How to Win Friends and Influence People�, Dale Carnegie offers the following advice on building relationships: �Become genuinely interested in other people.� The Pharisees and Herodians in this passage seemed to have this advice down pat. They talked to Jesus with great respect, and they appeared to be very interested in his opinions about paying taxes. But their flattery didn�t ring true. Jesus knew they were just waiting for him to slip up so they could arrest him. They looked friendly, but in reality, it was just an act. As Jesus� followers, we don�t want to make the same mistake. God calls us to be sincere, honest, and open in our relationships- even with those we find difficult. We can show them as much charity and respect as possible, but we should never be false! If the Spirit tells you that you need to bring up a problem with someone, try your best to do it sincerely and with humility. You�ll find that your efforts at honesty will actually free you to love that person even more- and it will also help him or her to respect you all the more. August 12. (Mark 12:13-17). No matter how sincere we are, we may still find it challenging to deal with some people. That�s where prayer comes in. Instead of complaining and gossiping- as Jesus� opponents did- we can take our frustration to the Lord. If we count on him for help with so many other things, we can surely trust him with our difficult relationships! He wants to shine his light into every situation we face. August 13. (Mark 12:13-17). Is there someone who�s causing you a lot of tension? Try interceding, and see what happens. As your heart becomes united with Jesus in prayer, you may find just the words you need to say the next time you encounter that person. Or you may find the wisdom to keep silent. Ask Jesus to let you see him or her through his eyes, and he will help you to love them. Release this person to God�s care, and let his peace fill your heart. He has won the victory for us, not just over death but over all broken places in our lives. �Lord, we have all been wounded in our relationships. Please take those wounds to the cross with you and heal them in each of us. Make us whole again in your love!� August 14. Enough for me to keep my soul tranquil and quiet, like a child in its mother�s arms, as content as a child that has been weaned. (Psalm 131:2 Jerusalem Bible). Sometimes God is the only friend who leaves us alone, not in the sense of abandonment, but by allowing us to be ourselves in God�s presence. Mother God, hold us in the luxury of your lap of unconditional love. August 15. The city and all that is in it shall be devoted to God for destruction (Joshua 6:17). In war, the enemy is depicted as infidels who are less than human. The irony is that war makes all of us behave as infidels who are less than human. �Holy wars� are not holy. Let us remember all who have suffered and died at the hands of human sin and human neglect. August 16. �Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled� (Matthew 5:6). �Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled� (Luke 6:21). Matthew was concerned for our souls. Luke was concerned for our bodies. Jesus, whom they quote, was concerned for both. Jesus viewed human life as an integrity of body and spirit. Thank you God for mind and body. |
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