Lessons on Love

Ezekiel 15 is all about Jerusalem being like a useless vine. I instantly think of John 15 when I think of vines. Jerusalem was a useless vine that produced bad fruit. We are told in John 15 that we are to abide in the Lord because if we don't we really are nothing. Just like Jerusalem was in Ezekiel's time. He said because they were useless that He would cast them into the fire to be burned up. John 15:6 says, "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned."

The rest of the John 15 talks about abiding the the Lord and His love. John 15:12 says, "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you."

This verse ties into my morning devotional about love. I like what the 1st sentence says, "The great business of a true Christian life is to learn to love." WOW. As God's vine we know that if we abide in Him we know that we are to love one another. And honestly, I haven't done that these past few years. Sure, I love most people but those who rub me wrong get conditional love. I am really judgemental in giving my love away. If someone annoys me or hurts me I recoil my love.

I've spent the past few weeks praying about myself and what God wants to change in me. I know the first lesson He has taught/continues to teach me is that I need to diligently seek Him and His approval alone. I'm getting the feeling that learning to love is another lesson. It ties in with forgiving and letting go.

I will let my devotional speak for me:

"Life with all its experiences is just our chance of learning love. The lesson is set for us - 'Thou shalt love;' 'As I have loved you, that ye also love one another.' Our one thing is to master this lesson. We are not in this world to get rich, to gain power, to become learned in the arts and sciences, to build up a great business, or to do large things in any line. We are not here to get along in our daily work, in our shops, or schools, or homes, or on our farms. we are not here to preach the gospel, to comfort sorrow, to visit the sick and to perform deeds of charity. All of these, or any of these, may be among our duties, and they may fill our hands; but in all our occupations the real business of life, that which we are always to strive to do, the work which must go on in all our experiences, if we grasp life's true meaning at all, is to learn to love, and to grow loving in disposition and character.

We may learn the finest arts of life - music, painting, sculpture, poetry, or many master the noblest sciences, or by means of reading, study, travel, and converse with refined people, may attain the best culture; but if in all this we do not learn to love, and become more gentle in spirit and act, we have missed the prize of living. If in the midst of all our duties, cares, trials, joys, sorrows, we are not day by day growing in sweetness, in gentleness, in unselfishness, in thoughtfulness, and in all the branches of love, we are not learning the great lesson set for us by our Master in this school of life." - J. R. Miller, taken from Streams in the Desert Vol. 2

Hard for me to grasp and understand that what I thought I've been doing isn't what I have been doing. So continues the lessons I am to learn . . . . Abiding in the Lord and learning to love.

Krista Jones
9.2.08

Bible Reading Guide:

Beginning to End: Acts 9-10
Old and New Testaments Together: Ezek. 3-4 & Hebrews 11:20-40
Historical: Luke 6-7
Chronological: Acts 1-3
Blended: I Chron. 16-18 & Luke 2:1-24

The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible