Obedience is Greater

Mar25

One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He (Jesus) had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?”
Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord;

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.’
The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no one else besides Him; and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
Mark 12:28-33 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mrk.12.28-34.NASB1995

Obedience to God’s commandments is greater than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.

🌹. . . “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.
1 Samuel 15:22 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/1sa.15.22.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Priority Commandments

Mar24

And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment.

The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
Matthew 22:37-39 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.22.37-39.NASB1995

Is the second commandment possible without the first? What is your thought? Is there Scripture to support your thought?

🌹There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:31b NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mrk.12.31.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Standing Blameless

Mar21

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Jude 1:24-25 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jud.1.24-25.NASB1995

🌹Standing blameless in the presence of God’s glory!! Now that is something worth rejoicing over. Praise God for the gift of being blameless in Him!!!

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Love Your Neighbors & Enemies

Mar20

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
But I (Jesus) say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Matthew 5:43-44 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.5.43-44.NASB1995

Love your enemy as you do your neighbor.

so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Matthew 5:45 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.5.45.NASB1995

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.
Luke 6:35 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/luk.6.35.NASB1995

🌹Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.
Luke 6:31 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/luk.6.31.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Are You a Good Neighbor?

Mar19

He who despises his neighbor sins,
Proverbs 14:21a NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.14.21.NASB1995

Despise: to regard with contempt, distaste, disgust, or disdain; scorn; loathe.
https://Dictionary.com

Is there someone in your life you really hate? Anyone you shun, go out of the way to avoid them? How about the snub – ignoring them, their existence? Aren’t those attitudes loathesome? And yet we are all guilty.

Remember the priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37? The Samaritan answered the question Jesus asked him, – “who proved to be a neighbor”, – with “the one who showed mercy.” Jesus then said, “Go and do the same.”

Jesus is our example of how to treat others.

🌹A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words, And the deeds of a man’s hands will return to him.
Proverbs 12:14 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.12.14.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Think Before Speaking

Mar18

The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray.
Proverbs 12:26 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.12.26.NASB1995

The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
Proverbs 15:28 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.15.28.NASB1995

🌹The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable, . . .
Proverbs 10:32a NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.10.32.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Love By Listening

Mar17

He who despises his neighbor lacks sense, But a man of understanding keeps silent (heart).
Proverbs 11:12 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.11.12.NASB1995

This verse reminds me of two famous quotes I heard as I was growing up.

“Don’t judge someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.”

And

“Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.”

To belittle or despise our neighbor lacks compassion, an attribute of our Lord; and since we don’t truly know how someone responds to life situations, could we just give an understanding, silent ear without sharing our opinion?

🌹Arguments never seem to solve anything. A listening ear can change a heart.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Praise God for The Godly

Mar14

Praise the Lord! And He has lifted up a horn for His people, Praise for all His godly ones; Even for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him. Praise the Lord!
Psalms 148:1a, 14 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/psa.148.1-14.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Slander or Grace

Mar13

Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy (silence); No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.
Psalms 101:5 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/psa.101.5.NASB1995

God knows our intentions, both of the mind and heart. We are totally transparent to God, so let us be truthful with ourselves. Let us rid ourselves of the things that God despises and surrender to His will, His way, His truth.

These the Lord hates, which are an abomination to Him (of His soul):

Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,
A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.
Proverbs 6:16-17, 19 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.6.17-19.NASB1995

🙏 God forgive me for slander spoken in my heart against my neighbor; for lies I speak outwardly and inwardly regarding my neighbor. Help me to not be a false witness full of lies, but a true witness of your truth and forgiveness. God clothe me in Your righteousness for Your namesake; for Your glory. Amen.

🌹A good man will obtain favor from the Lord, But He will condemn a man who devises evil.
Proverbs 12:2 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.12.2.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

No Lies, Just Truth

Mar12

‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Deuteronomy 5:20 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/deu.5.20.NASB1995

How often have we heard information about someone and passed it on to others without knowing if it is true? Is it our place to point fingers at someone, especially if it is unverified information? The Word says, “Do not accuse, lie about, anyone falsely.”

Matthew 19:18 . . . And Jesus said, “. . . You shall not bear false witness;”.

God spoke saying . . .
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Exodus 20:16 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/exo.20.16.NASB1995

“You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.”
Exodus 23:1 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/exo.23.1.NASB1995

‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.
Leviticus 19:11 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/lev.19.11.NASB1995

A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will not escape.
Proverbs 19:5 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.19.5.NASB1995

🌹Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
Ephesians 4:25 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/eph.4.25.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org