Proverbs 18:21 (ESV)

Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Explanation:

The writer of this passage has a simple and yet profound message for those who would read it: What you say matters. The words we say are worth more than just the air that is used to say them. They can tear down, or they can build up. They can bring peace, or they can incite war. They can mend a relationship, or they can tear it apart.

I think most of us get this in light of how we speak of others. When we share words that are aggressive and rooted in selfishness, it kills our reputation and our influence as believers. When we share words that are encouraging, kind, and rooted in love, we bring life to situations. The words we let sit in our minds, what we ruminate over, have the power to bring life or death to ourselves and others. We can focus on the negative, or we can repeat to ourselves the words God speaks to us.

Application:

1. What is one example, good or bad, of how you have been affected by words?

2. How did it feel to hear someone say that about you?

3. Have you ever experienced the death that words can bring?

4. How do you handle negative and damaging thoughts that you think about yourself? Do those line up with what God says about you?

5. Identify someone today you can speak encouragement to. Send them a text or an email or even a handwritten letter.

Prayer Starter:

Jesus, life and death both flow out of my mouth at times. Sometimes I use the breath You have given me to tear down, and sometimes I use it to lift up. I pray You would change my heart, and help me desire to bring life with my words. And when the ugliness of my heart creeps out of my mouth, I pray You would help me to be quick to apologize and seek restoration. I want to speak life, and I need Your help to do so…

Devo Plus:

Read Matthew 15:18. Spend some time thinking about what Jesus means by “out of the mouth the heart speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Have a conversation with God about why pain and negativity come out of our mouths sometimes.

Romans 8:35-39 (NLT)

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”]) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Explanation:

“Agape-love that is unconcerned with the self and concerned with the greatest good of another. The type of love that isn’t born only out of emotions, feeling, familiarity, or attraction, but from the will and as a choice. It is a love that requires faithfulness, commitment, and sacrifice without expecting anything in return” (Psychology Today). Agape is the type of love the Bible speaks about the most. In the Greek language, it is mentioned over 200 times in the New Testament alone. God demonstrated the ultimate example of agape love for us when He sent Jesus to die on the cross for us.

In today’s passage, Paul reminds us that this amazing love God has for us is something that can’t be taken away. His love for us doesn’t change when we do something stupid, when we sin, or when we move away from Him. He chose each one of us before the world was ever formed. As a result, when we grasp His love for us while we are here on earth, we get a preview of the victory we will celebrate in heaven.

Paul also wants us to know that suffering and trials, and sometimes even death, are part of the experience here on earth. He reminds us that struggles in the name of Christ are nothing new when he quotes Psalm 44:22 in verse 36 above. However, despite these struggles, because of God’s great love for us, we are the greatest of overcomers! Paul tells us that no matter what, God will turn everything ultimately to good, as we get the privilege of spending eternity with Him in heaven.

Application:

1. Can you think of a time when you experienced a struggle, and afterward you could see how God worked it out for good?

2. Are you currently experiencing a struggle? Reflect on this passage. Grasp the understanding that God’s love for you is so great that no matter what the outcome, He loves you, and you will reap the ultimate reward for your faithfulness by spending eternity with Him.

3. What about today’s scripture stands out to you?

Prayer Starter:

Ask God to remind you of His great love for all of us. If you are struggling or facing a trial, ask Him to help you see that at the end, He is all that matters. Ask for help navigating your situation, for Him to show you reminders of how everything will work out according to His purpose, and He will never allow you to be separated from His agape love.

Devo Plus:

To read more examples of how agape is mentioned in the Bible, read the book of 1 John. In those chapters, you will see that God calls us to put agape into action by loving others and obeying Him.

Ephesians 3: 16-19 (ESV)

“that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Explanation:

The Apostle Paul is writing to the early church in Ephesus (and us) about God’s depth of love for all creation. He is reaffirming them of their faith in Jesus Christ, and how great God’s love is. Paul tells us that with our “inner being,” the deepest part of our spirit, we can begin to comprehend God’s love for us. The outward man is perishing, but the inward man is being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16).

Once we believe in Jesus, we receive His Spirit into our lives, which will renew our heart and minds. With the Holy Spirit’s help, God speaks to our inner being, so we can then begin to understand “the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ.” The “breadth” implies God’s world-wide love for all people, “length” His love throughout all time, “height” His love beyond reach of any opposition, and “depth” God’s profound wisdom. Paul refers to this as knowing the “fullness of God,” which is having a relationship with Jesus Christ. God’s love surpasses human knowledge, and the only way to begin to understand it is through knowing Christ and having the Holy Spirit’s supernatural help.

Application:

1. What is stopping you from letting God love you? (e.g. busyness, pride, selfishness, hurts from the past)

2. Is it difficult for you to accept God’s incredible love for all mankind? (The fact that He knows you intimately, your thoughts and actions, yet still wants to be in relationship with you.)

3. Many of our relationships involve a “give-and-take” cycle. How is God’s unconditional love for His creation different than that?

4. Nothing we do can make God love us more, so why do we think we need do works to earn God’s love? Is this even more the case when we have messed up?

Prayer Starter:

Heavenly Father, thank You for always loving me! You are so amazing that You love me even when I’m at my worst. You are worthy to be praised. What an awesome God You are! Help me to feel Your unconditional love that surpasses all understanding. I thank You for the free gift of salvation, for being able to experience Your presence forever. Thank You for Your Son, Jesus, who has allowed me to have this connection with You, and for sending Your Spirit to guide me in my life. Thank You that You love me more than my words can express. Amen.

Devo Plus:

Take some time today and listen to “How He loves Us” by David Crowder. Ask God to show you how much He loves you.

Hosea 10:12 (NIV)

Sow for yourselves righteousness,

reap the fruit of unfailing love,

and break up your unplowed ground;

for it is time to seek the Lord,

until he comes

and showers his righteousness on you.

Explanation:

Every spring, when I get ready to plant in my garden, I have to brutally attack the hard soil that is a result of the long winter. I have a special tool called a hoe, and I have to attack the ground with force. I can’t use a broom to prepare the soil, I can’t use a blow dryer, vacuum, blender, or rake. I have to use the right tool, I have to be aggressive, and I have to dig up and turn the ground over. Old roots, fallen leaves, weeds already growing, and sitting idle all winter makes for poor ground to reap anything beautiful from. I spend a lot of time working that soil, breaking up the clumps, and working to create loose, receptive soil. If I didn’t, the seed would not take, and I would waste my time sowing. But when I do the process of hoeing my ground, this lovely dark, fresh, moist soil starts to turn over, and eventually I have a completely different AND completely receptive plot of land to grow my flowers in. It’s a hard process; I dread it every year, but I also know it is the only way I will have success. Most lovely things require some hard work.

In this passage, Hosea is using a similar farming illustration to drive home his point. We must allow the Holy Spirit to break up the hardness inside our hearts, so we will be receptive to the love of God and His transformation. Farmers will purposefully not plant for one year to allow dirt to rest and replenish. The result is very hard soil taken over by weeds. Hosea envisions a plowed field, earth that is ready to receive seeds. It is no longer stony or hard; it has been carefully prepared and available. I particularly love Hosea’s description of “reaping the fruit of unfailing love!” What a harvest!

Application:

1. Is your life ready and available for God to work in?

2. In the physical world of Ohio, it is the season of winter that causes our ground to become hard. Your life goes through seasons, too. Have you had an awareness that you feel differently spiritually? It happens. Things that move us no longer do. Things that we used to enjoy with God have waned. We love God, but have lost that vibrant hunger that was so inspiring. You can break up the fallow ground of your heart by acknowledging your feelings to God, and asking Him to work in your heart.

3. It all begins with a “want to.” One day in spring, I realize that I want to prepare my ground so I can enjoy a lovely summer and fall of flowers. The same has to happen spiritually. We have to want, desire, need, long, yearn, and crave intimacy with God. Do you want more of Him, today? Submitting to the process pays big dividends.

Prayer Starter:

Lord…do what it takes. I do want, I do desire a fresh heart and a renewed spirit, and I know it comes through purging and cleansing. Reveal to me the hard earth of my heart. I ask You to break it. Crush it. Till it and cultivate the hardness of my heart, and shower me with Your righteousness. I surrender my desires and ask You to plant new desires that allow my relationship with You to flourish and thrive. I love You, Lord. Amen.

Devo Plus:

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul

and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30 ESV)

Every night before bed, we sing worship songs to our daughter. And I always enjoy it when she joins in. Hearing her little voice singing songs about God just melts my heart. Two of her favorites songs that we have sung over and over again to her are “Reckless Love” and “How He Loves.” Every single day, right before bed, she is being reminded of the incredible love God has for her. This is something I want her to always know and never forget.

Often times, when I sing these songs to her, tears fill my eyes. In fact, I am listening to one of the songs as I’m writing this, and the tears are there again. There are so many days when I need to be reminded of how much God loves me. No one else loves me the way God does. I mess up constantly, but He forgives me and still showers me with love. I have days when I don’t really love myself, but He reminds me that I am lovable simply because I am His. On days when I am broken or hurting, His love reminds me to keep going. Over and over again, He reminds me that He loves me, no matter what. Nothing I do can cause Him to love me less. Nothing I do will cause Him to love me more. He loves me because that is Who He is.

Do you know how much God loves you? He loves you more than anyone ever could. He sent His Son to earth. He sent His Son to die in your place. He has laid the sacrifice we deserved on His only Son. He will stop at nothing to show you just how much He loves you.

And when you experience the love of God, it changes you. It causes you to want to love others the way He does. It makes you better. You love deeper, you love with more compassion, you love with more grace. When I am reminded of God’s love, it is easier to be patient with others, it is easier to be generous with others, it is easier to love well. When you experience the extravagant love of God, you will forgive others over and over because you know God does that for you on a daily basis. Once you experience the love of God, you desperately want others to experience it for themselves. I want to love like God. I want to have an extravagant love that forgives when others wrong me, that loves someone else, no matter what. I want to love others the way God loves me.

Prayer Starter:

Dear God, we often cannot fathom the depth of Your love for us. We are so thankful that You love us, no matter what. You love us through hardships, You love us through mess-ups, You love us through it all. Thank You for being an extravagant God with an extravagant love. God, help us to always remember Your love, and then go and share that love with others. We have been changed by Your love, and want the rest of the world to know it, too. Thank You for loving us deeper than anyone else ever could. You are an incredible God. In Your name we ask all these things, amen.

Devo Plus:

Do me a favor and listen to both of these songs today. I promise they will be an incredible reminder to you that God’s love is extravagant.

“How He Loves” by David Crowder

“Reckless Love” by Corey Asbury

Galatians 6:7-8 (ESV)

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption but the one who sows to the spirit will from the spirit reap eternal life.

Explanation:

God is God. The Alpha and Omega. He is all-powerful, and in Him all things hold together. As such, God is not a person who is beneath our consideration, someone we can shrug off or discount. It does us no good to make large professions of faith and put on great shows to convince others of a life we don’t intend to follow through on. “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart” (Proverbs 27:19 NIV). We may deceive others, and even ourselves, but not God.

If we invest our choices, our efforts, and our days into putting on a show, climbing ladders, and impressing people, but never truly give our hearts to God or follow His Spirit, we waste our lives. A life devoted to God is a life well spent. A life devoted to anything else, no matter how noble, is a life ultimately wasted, because it will lack its mark on eternity. The Word promises we will reap what we sow: relationship from the seed of relationship, or separation from the seed of separation.

Application:

1. Take an honest inventory of your heart. List any areas where your concern about what people think of your actions, thoughts, or situations trumps what God thinks.

2. Think about Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. What is the craziest part of Jesus’s actions that stands out to you? Remember that He was willing to forsake what people thought, in order to honor God and make a way for you.

3. God receives the most glory from a life that finds its joy in Him. What are some areas of your life that are better because you honor God through them? Thinking of God’s work in those areas will produce joy inside. And the more you dwell on God’s goodness, the more your joy will grow and be a witness to others!

Prayer Starter:

Father, You are faithful and wonderful and gracious. Thank You that Your heart is for us, You desire us, You come after us. Help us to honor You with every moment of our lives. Thank You for Your grace as we grow toward You. Help us to keep You in the forefront of our minds, and grow our joy so it would spill out onto the world around us, for Your great glory. We love You, Lord, and thank You. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Devo Plus:

Ephesians 5:15-16

Proverbs 21:21

Hebrews 12:5-11 (ESV)

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Explanation:

The relationship between love and discipline is often one that gets confusing if you have ever been part of an environment where discipline was improperly used. You may have been part of an environment where there was not enough discipline, and so you or others were free to do whatever you pleased and never really learned the benefit of discipline. This may have produced a sense that any discipline may seem harsh or unnecessary. Maybe you were part of an environment where things were on the opposite end of the spectrum, where discipline was used in a cruel way, and so the thought of any type of discipline seems off-putting.

When it comes to our relationship with God, and trying to understand and live in His love, these are things we must work through. God, in His perfect love, will at times discipline us in a perfect, proper, and healthy way. It will take us submitting to His discipline. and trusting in faith if He is disciplining us, we genuinely need it. The scriptures are full of examples of times when God has disciplined His children, and there are some truths that can help shape our views on God’s discipline.

First, as I already mentioned, the discipline of God is done in love. Secondly, God’s discipline is not punishment. I know this can become very convoluted in our brains, but Jesus already bore the punishment for our sins, so discipline is not motivated by Him wanting to inflict pain on us. Discipline from God is both corrective and used for training us. He wants us to become more like Him, and if there are areas of our lives that do not reflect that, and we are His children and disciples of Jesus, God clearly wants us to stop that behavior or sin. Ultimately, that behavior or sin can pull us from our relationship with Him, harm or damage our relationship with others, and finally, damage our own personal fullness of life.

This may lead to further questions, but the best way to discover if you are in a season of discipline is simply by asking God if there are any areas of your life where you are not walking with Him. Then take purposed time to listen and seek out His Word. Whenever you experience God’s discipline, receive it as love from God, and a complete honor that God loves you enough to make your life better.

Application:

1. Describe a time when you feel you were being disciplined by God.

2. What was God trying to teach you in that season?

3. How is it loving for God to discipline us?

Prayer Starter:

God, I can sometimes be hesitant to receive your discipline because it does not feel pleasant. I want to trust that when You do discipline me, it is always done in love and for my betterment. Open my eyes and heart today to see what areas of my life You are trying to correct.

Devo Plus:

Read Proverbs 10:17. How can rejecting God’s discipline “lead others astray”?

Exodus 34:12-14 (ESV)

Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst. You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),

Explanation:

In western culture, jealousy is viewed as a negative thing. We think of the jealous lover who slashes tires because she can’t have the guy she longs for, or we think of ourselves being jealous because others have that we do not. But jealousy, as used in this passage, is not only viewed as a positive, but God says His character is defined by jealousy (His name is Jealous).

Like the jealous lover who will not share the love of another, God demands His creation’s sole love and trust in Him. God’s love is exclusive. But the difference lies in the motive for God’s exclusivity. God’s exclusivity is not because He has a base need to be in control or limit His creation, but because He possesses a deep love for His people, who were designed to find the blessing and life they so desperately desire, in Him and Him alone.

God is a jealous God, but His jealousy is based out of a desperate desire to bless us and give us life in Him.

Application:

1. What is one thing that stands out to you in this passage?

2. What in your life do you think would invoke God’s jealousy for you?

3. Does it bring you comfort to know that God is jealous over you? He is willing to fight for you to find life in Him.

Prayer Starter:

God, I understand You are a jealous God. And I understand Your jealousy is not that of a cross lover, but a Father who fights for the hearts and minds of His people. When we turn our hearts exclusively to You, we find true love and true hope for real and lasting life. You are our provision and our protection, and we need help to put and keep our trust in You. Amen.

Devo Plus:

Read Exodus 20:1-6.

Matthew 25:31-46 (ESV)

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Explanation:

This passage is hard hitting. It calls us out, and commands us to get our hearts in check. We need to evaluate how we treat “the least of these.” I used to think “the least of these” meant the poorest and destitute of humanity. But in studying this passage, I realize we have all had a time in our lives when someone reached out to us when we were going through a rough patch. A time when a simple hug or prayer sustained a tired spirit or exhausted body. I have been among “the least of these,” and someone loved me well. Those people who showed me love because God led them to reach out to me, truly were caring for someone the way that Jesus would.

It’s important that we understand the additional context in this scripture. God isn’t going to see favor in us “checking a box” by running out to serve at a homeless shelter or donate clothing to the Salvation Army in an effort to please Him. We must allow God to search our hearts and reveal the way He wants us to love others. Loving well is an exercise in true connection with God.

Remember, though, it’s not our works or our compassion that will get us into heaven. Because we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our hearts are changed. Our hearts now desire to do things for others, and to give generously in the manner Jesus did while He walked on the earth. By loving the way He loved, and demonstrating love and care to others, it’s as if we were doing it to Jesus himself. That’s powerful!

Application:

1. How does this scripture challenge you to be different in your daily life?

2. Pastor Andy Stanley is a popular and engaging pastor who is well known for teaching about marriage and relationships. One segment of his series on marriage is titled “Love is a verb.” I challenge you to spend some quiet time with God this week, to determine how you can demonstrate care to “the least of these” and put that verb into action.

Prayer Prompt:

Take some time to reflect on ways that God wants you to minister to “the least of these” around you. Ask Him to show you ways to love well, and to use love as a verb.

Devo Plus:

Read more about the value and reward of good works and loving well in Colossians 3:23-24 and 1 Timothy 6:17-19.

Proverbs 31:8-9 (ESV)

Open your mouth for the mute,

for the rights of all who are destitute.

Open your mouth, judge righteously,

defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Explanation:

This proverb is a letter from a mother to her son, Lemuel, who was about to become king. Her passing wisdom is focused around two themes: avoiding drunkenness in order to keep a clear mind to rule, and using his power to serve his people…to protect, speak up for, and judge justly for the poor and needy. Lemuel was to use his power, not for personal gain, but to care for those who needed protected by his rule. He was tasked to judge fairly, not to give favor to those who could benefit him. Not only was he to avoid corruption, but he was to actively speak out against it and defend the rights of those who had been taken advantage of, even if it was not the popular or most advantageous position to take.

Application:

1. What is one thing you learned from the passage above?

2. Have you ever been treated unjustly? How did that feel?

3. Have you ever treated anyone unjustly? How did you justify it?

4. Have you ever been in the position where it was difficult to do the right thing? How did you respond? If given the opportunity, would you handle the situation differently today?

Prayer Prompt:

God, doing the right thing in the face of opposition is hard. We fear rejection, we fear missing out on some benefit, but help us to remember You are the protector of the down and out. Help us to love justice and mercy, as You have given those to us. Give us the strength to live lives of fairness, justice, and equality. Give us the courage to speak out against it when we see corruption and unfairness being executed in our lives, in our community, and in our nation. We are a better people when we live by Your ethic, and we live in a better community when there is fairness and opportunity for everyone who lives there. It’s Your heart, Lord, so help us to reflect it as Your people. Amen.

Devo Plus:

Read the entirety of Lemuel’s letter in Proverbs 31:1-9.