Discipleship Response
His Love
Matthew 22:37-38
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."
Pondering Point
Loving God is a form of worship. We love because He first loved us, John wrote as we hit yesterday.
The Divine Service (the Sunday service most people call worship) is about receiving His love and work in various ways and responding to that love with a love of our own – again in various ways. His love comes through His presence, His words of absolution, His Word read and preached, His Body and Blood in Holy Communion, His body of believers and His blessings scattered throughout. Our love responds through listening with obedience, prayers spoken, praises sung, offerings given and vows made.
Yet far beyond Sunday morning, life itself is to be a daily receiving of God’s love through His Word, His Spirit and His Body – and then offering up a life of responsive worship (Romans 12).
Let’s review that daily life of worship characterized by loving God with all our heart and soul and mind:
Review
Are you participating in the Divine Service at a church? Are you engaging in the Divine Service beyond Sunday by listening to His Word, Spirit and engaging Jesus’ body of believers? Do you define life as an act of worship?
Repent if Necessary
Repent of neglecting group worship with Jesus’ body of believers, of neglecting daily worship of engaging God through His Word, Spirit and body of believers, or neglecting to view your life as an act of worship?
Return as Necessary
Thank God for His love that is poured out the space of the Divine Service and for the Divine Service He renders to you daily through the grace afforded you in the name and work of Jesus Christ your Lord.
Prayer for the Day
Heavenly Father, I celebrate Your divine service in my life, highlighted by the forgiveness that is mine daily through the sacrificial death of Jesus, my Lord. I look forward to loving You with all my heart and soul and mind. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.