LIVING WATER CAC DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE FOR OCTOBER 9, 2019 : TOPIC – SACRIFICIAL LOVE
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THE LIVING WATER CAC
DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
– Yom Kippur
TOPIC – SACRIFICIAL LOVE
Read 1 Samuel 18:1-4
1. And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
2. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house.
3. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
4. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
MEMORISE: Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Samuel 9:1)
EXPOSITION
Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) is the holiest day of the year in Judaism, usually observed with about 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often in synagogue services. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Christ is the real fulfilment of the Day of Atonement. His wonderful sacrifice is worth emulating. Sacrificial love entails strong feeling of affection and concern towards another person, arising from kinship or close friendship. This can also be described as a kind of love which talks about self-sacrificing. It has to do with pure motivation to alleviate the sufferings of others.
David and Jonathan had strong personal and intimate friendship – sacrificial love (cf. 1 Jn. 3:18). They both had selfless, genuine mutual love that was characterised by giving, just as Jesus Christ gave, emptied Himself to enrich us (2 Cor. 8:9). The friendship between the duo was also characterised by supplication, honesty and modesty. It was void of hatred and jealousy, and as such, filled with kindness and obligation (2 Sam. 9:1ff).
God is not expecting anything less from us, in our relationships. God expects His children to give their all, in form of time, money, prayer, compassion, godly and timely counsels, etc. to fellow brethren. Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 13:2 harped on true love to God and fellow humans, without which the most glorious gifts we possess will amount to nothing, of no esteem in the sight of God.
Brethren, it is high time we added this virtue, ‘sacrificial love’, to our service to others. If you have an open hand without a liberal and charitable heart, it amounts to nothing. Jesus sacrificed His all for all of us. Should we do anything less?
PRAYER POINTS
1. Lord, let true love reign in our lives, so that we can in turn, extend it to others
2. Help those who are suffering, O Lord; arise to their aids, now, and relieve them of all their pains.
3. Restore Your Church to her original love for You, in which the saints sacrificed their lives for the sake of Your gospel.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Isaiah 10:3 – 13:9; Ephesians 5:23 – 6:11
Author: C.A.C WORLDWIDE
Remain blessed!