Today's Devotional

TODAY’S VERSE
‘“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.”’
Matthew 22:36-38

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is so easy to stay busy. Family, work, church. Responsibilities, duties, ministry. Shoulda, coulda, woulda... Everyday pressures mount up and we find ourself running from one activity to another. Like a giant hamster wheel we go and go and yet we don’t seem to get anywhere. Jesus knew this, but not the Pharisees. All they knew was the law and all the activity it required. So they asked Jesus which commandment He thought was the greatest. They weren’t ready for how profound His answer would be. Jesus didn’t say that the greatest commandment involved ministry, family or career. He didn’t suggest tremendous feats or a myriad of activities. Instead Jesus said, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” In her book, “Listening Prayer”, Leanne Payne, writes, “Centering on the work of the Lord and the helping of others, can cloud our first duty of loving, glorifying and enjoying God always. As Oswald Chambers says, ‘The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for Him.” ”It is never ‘Do, do’ with the Lord, but ‘Be, be” and He will ‘do’ through you.”’ So today, let us be conscious of Him. Let us worship Him, love Him and spend time with Him. If we do, we will find that everything else will fall into place.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Lord, help me love You today with my whole heart, soul and mind. Take my life, I give You complete control, yet I know I will snatch the control back and try to handle it all myself.  But in Your loving kindness, You will forgive me when I ask. I do want to spend time with You, share my thoughts with You and hear from You today. Help me take charge of my schedule and all my busyness so that I can carve out the time I need to better worship You. ~Amen

~Tamara