Author: Lori Casto

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders (every weight) and the sin that so easily entangles. (ensnares) And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter (Author & Finisher) of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3

Consider Him

Consider the Savior of the World who is the sinless Son of God and everything He went through for us.

Consider the rejection, denial and betrayal He went through. Consider the loneliness He must have felt. Consider the bruises and stripes he received from the beating He took. Consider the crown of thorns He wore and the blood that ran down his cheeks. Consider the nails that pierced His hands. Consider the cross he carried and hung on. Consider His death, burial, and resurrection.

When you feel like giving up, consider Him. When you grow tired, consider Him. When you lose heart, consider Him. Keep your eyes on Jesus and don’t stop reading His word. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you as you continue to consider Him. What hinders you? What weighs you down? Isn’t time to let it go? Put the weights down. They are too heavy.

It’s time to consider Him.

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; Hebrews 12:14-15 NKJV

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:14-15 NIV

•  Holy- Set apart; God-like, the highest calling of a Christ-follower; completion, maturity, progressive, never complete, yet to be lived;
•  Grace- unmerited favor, Gods continual mercy; The exercise of love, kindness, mercy, favor; disposition to benefit or serve another; favor bestowed, or privilege conferred.

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

God has been showing me so much lately. Some things have been reminders, other things revelation.

1. We can’t be living in the joy God wills for us if we don’t exercise love

2. True exercised love isn’t on the surface. We need to be willing to get in the pit and truly invest in lives

3. True love is in layers. True love exercises forgiveness every day.

4. God shows continual mercy & grace. We are to live holy lives. We, therefore, need to show mercy and grace continually as He shows us. If we don’t, we are in danger of becoming bitter.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. 2 Peter 1:5-9

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith 1. goodness; and to goodness, 2. knowledge; and to knowledge, 3. self-control; and to self-control, 4. perseverance; and to perseverance, 5. godliness; and to godliness, 6. mutual affection; (Phileo love) and to mutual affection, 7. love. (Agape love)

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. 2 Peter 1:5-9

• Phileo Love– A warm, sincere affection & devotion, attachment, and the affectionate ties that hold believers together. Unlike superficial ties or mere sentiments, phileo love is marked by authenticity, closeness, and genuine care for another’s well-being.

• Agape Love- conveyed a sense of love characterized by goodwill, benevolence, and a focus on the well-being of others. The New Testament writers took this notion further, emphasizing that agape is not merely a fleeting emotion but a deliberate and selfless act of the will. (Jesus gave His life)

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

Again Peter is talking about the importance of loving others beyond the surface. We are to love deeply. I think to love deeply, we must invest in the lives of others. We must be willing to get in the pit with them. Sometimes, it’s the only way they’ll make it out. It may seem like a huge investment to “love each other deeply.” Afterall, love takes time. We are so busy, it’s hard to invest our time.

I’ve heard it said by people who have experienced deep hurt that they won’t allow anyone to hurt them the way someone in their life already deeply hurt them. This declaration causes them to put up barriers. This goes against what God is saying through Peter:

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

In fact, as I’m reading this repeatedly, It seems as if the deeper we love someone, the easier it is to forgive? Wow! That doesn’t seem possible. This scripture indicates that when our love runs deep, we are able to forgive as often as needed:

     love covers over a multitude of sins.

People are human after all. We all fall short.  I would certainly hope people would be willing to forgive me, so shouldn’t I be just as willing to forgive them…even when it means forgiving over and over and over again?

Will you join me as I continue to work on my “love walk?”

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

How will you Devote2day?

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:22-25

At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. Matthew 24:10-13

While continuing to read in Peter, I can’t help but be drawn once again to the subject of love. We are called not only to love, but to “love one another deeply, from the heart.” Peter is all about being genuine and authentic. He uses the word “sincere” when he talks about loving one another.

• Sincere- marked by genuineness: true, pure, heartfelt

The sincere love we are to have for each other, reminded me of Matthew 24, when Jesus is talking about the end times and describes the love of many as growing cold. I’ve read the passage often and those words stand out in my mind every time. Love is so important. It’s so important, Jesus mentions the absence of it as one of the end times indicators.

The genuine, authentic love we show for one another is valuable. We can only show love if we possess love. We can’t be stingy with whom we show our love. No matter how someone treats us, we must show love. How we demonstrate love can mean the difference in someone’s eternity.

How we demonstrate love can be the difference in someone’s eternity.

Today’s challenge: Show love to the one you’d rather avoid

How will you devote2day?

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 1 Peter 1:22

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9

Gold is a great investment, especially in times of economic uncertainty. You may even hear people trying to sell the idea of investing in gold. Gold has been sought after since its discovery. It’s never a mistake to invest in gold.

In this passage, Peter is comparing our faith to gold. He isn’t just saying our faith is worth more than gold, He is saying the genuineness of your faith is more valuable than gold.

Genuine– sincerely and honestly felt or experienced; free from hypocrisy or pretense. Authentic, true, real.

We live in a world that can be very surface. It’s a conditioning in our culture brought on by the internet and cell phone technology. We only see what people wish us to see. Texting and social media can give us a beautiful picture of the lives of those around us that might not actually be genuine.  It lacks authenticity. Often, it’s not real.

Maybe today would be a good day to really consider the authenticity of our faith. May we give praise, honor, and glory as we consider our Savior’s death, burial, and resurrection. May today be a day we are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy. I pray our faith runs deep- not just surface.  Let’s make it real and keep it real, like everything else in our lives depends on it. After all, Peter says our genuine faith is more valuable than gold.

How will you devote2day?