The Great Commandment

Coral Ridge Ministries

The Great Commandment

Matthew 22:37-38

June 17, 2023

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.”
—Matthew 22:37-38

Can you imagine someone commanding love? We can understand how God can command certain actions or even tell us how to speak or think. But to go into that innermost closet, into the depths of our hearts, and to command us to love, seems a breach of our free will. Yet God commands us to love Him.

Why is this the case? There are several reasons. God knows that we’re built to love something supremely. If we don’t love God, we’ll adore something less honorable, less exalted than He. And whatever we love most, we’ll inevitably resemble, just as we become like that which we worship. This is why God says that He is a jealous God and that we should have no gods before Him—not for His sake but for ours. God doesn’t need our love, nor does He need our worship. In fact, He doesn’t need anything from us. But we most definitely need Him. We need to worship and love Him so that our lives might be purified by that love.

If anything can ever lift us from the mire of our sin, it’s the power of love. As we love God and others, we will resist breaching our relationships with sinful thoughts and actions.

Today fix your gaze on Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, and His love for you, His bride. Let God’s love for you kindle in your heart and spirit a greater love for Him.

QUOTE:
“Oh, how I love Jesus … Because He first loved me!”
—Frederick Whitfield

Faithful And True

June 30, 2023

“And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken …” —Hebrews 3:5 Have you ever struggled to remain faithful to God in certain areas of your life? To be faithful literally means to be “full of faith.” The practical outworking of faithfulness is remaining true to God and His Word regardless of the cost or adverse circumstances. Consider one man of faith, General William Booth, who founded the Salvation Army. In his later years, he lost his eyesight. He visited the doctor for help, but the doctor could not do much for him. His son, Bramwell Booth, had to give his father the final report: “I am afraid that there is little that they can do for you.” General Booth said, “You mean that I will never again see your face?” His son replied, “I am afraid the likelihood is that you will never again see my face in this world.” To this, General Booth declared, “Well, I have served God and the people with my eyes, and now I will serve God and the people without my eyes.” What an incredible example of faith in the midst of a tremendously adverse circumstance. If we want to faithfully seek and serve God, we must remain true to God even in the face of possible loss, as Abraham remained true to God even when he faced losing his son, as Daniel remained true to God even as he faced the horrors of the lions’ den. To be faithful to Christ means to forsake this world with all its trappings and temptations. But even when we lapse in our faithfulness to God, He remains steady in His faithfulness to us. If you have trouble being faithful to God’s call, then ask the Lord for His strength and help. Bolster your faithfulness by studying His Word and obeying its commands. QUOTE: “I do not want merely to possess a faith, I want a faith that possesses me.” —Charles Kingsley

Henry Drummond

June 29, 2023

…but the greatest of these is love. —1 Corinthians 13:13 How is your love life? Or put differently, is yours a life of love? Today I’d like to focus on a man who exemplified Christian love. Henry Drummond, a nineteenth-century Scottish evangelist and writer, influenced lives wherever he went. He’s perhaps best known for his book entitled The Greatest Thing in the World, an exposition on the Love Chapter of 1 Corinthians. Drummond discovered that the most important thing he could do in life was to learn to love. He set his heart and mind and soul on this goal. In learning to love, he became one of the most influential men of his time. He always kept company with a myriad of people, from well-known citizens to unconventional, vagrant bohemians. Everyone was his type of person. Dwight L. Moody said that most Christians make an occasional sojourn into the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians, but Henry Drummond seemed to live in that chapter all his life, and it poured out from his pores. His love for others radiated from his face. Have you made the joyful discovery that the greatest thing in the world is to give love (not to get it)? When we look back on our lives, we will see that in our moments of selfless giving, our lives took on their truest significance. Compared with all other things, love stands out as the greatest. But we cannot share this love on our own; we must receive it from Him who is love. Ask God to fill you with His love so that you might share it with others. Pray that His love would flow from you in all that you do. QUOTE: “Love is life, and lovelessness is death.” —Frances Paget

The Key To A Happy Home

June 28, 2023

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” —Ephesians 4:29 Of all the contributing factors that make our homes happy, good communication must be high on the list. As we relate to people, we communicate on many levels—everything from “Hi, how are you?” to divulging facts, expressing emotions, and ultimately sharing our true selves. To make a home run smoothly, we need communication on all levels, but especially on that most intimate level of revealing ourselves to our housemates and families. But that kind of communication can feel threatening. Sharing at the deepest, most intimate level makes us vulnerable, and many people don’t want to risk rejection. But as these people stay on “safer” levels of communication, they never discover the real glory of intimacy. People avoid intimate conversation not only because they fear rejection but also because they have built up resentment against people who have hurt them in the past. As they refuse to forgive and as they continue to keep records of wrongs, these people maintain barriers between themselves and others. While they may feel safer that way, these people miss the joy of reconciliation and better understanding. We must express tenderheartedness and forgiveness toward one another as God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven us. If we don’t let go of our anger, we will clam up or blow up. “In your anger, do not sin,” and “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” These admonitions from Ephesians can help us forgive others and let go of pent-up resentment. We also need to avoid faultfinding and blame. If we negatively evaluate someone, that person will not risk any deep communication, and we’ll experience isolation. Instead of focusing on the negative things, focus on the good in the people you care about. When we start focusing on the positive, the positive will increase, and we will “administer grace” to each other. What are some ways you can foster deeper communication in your home today? Do you need to share yourself on a deeper level, to forgive someone, to refrain from harshly judging others? Take a risk today, and see how those you live with respond as you pursue intimate communication and relationships. QUOTE: “Until I truly loved, I was alone.” —Caroline Norton