DCLM Daily Manna Saturday 29 July 2023
TOPIC: Unconditional Love
KEY VERSE:
“I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications”
(Psalm 116:1).
TEXT: Psalm 116:1-6 (KJV)
1 I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
4 Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.
5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
6 The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.
DCLM Daily Manna Saturday 29 July 2023 MESSAGE
It is generally accepted that love is blind and should be unconditional. We are not to love a person because of what we get from him. It is no longer considered to be pure and sincere if a show of love is a response to one’s benefactor. While this may be true, there is also no better way to respond to and show appreciation to one’s benefactor than to respond in love. Love should naturally emanate from grateful hearts.
The psalmist here, expresses his deep love and affection for God. He has no better way to respond to the One who has answered his prayers when in a desperate situation. He feels bound by gratitude to love the Lord for all He has done for him and this is logical. This love will be exclusively for God alone as he resolves never to call upon any other god.
READ DCLM Daily Manna Friday 28 July 2023 – The Next Generation
To love God because of the things He does for us is mercenary, and cannot be pure love. How else can one prove his gratitude to God for all the blessings received if not to love Him in return? We are more obliged to love God because there is no other way we can pay back all He does for us. We are not deserving of His love and the abundant mercies and goodness He shows to us. We do not even have the means to repay God for all His benefits. We cannot give anything in return that will measure up to the least of His daily blessings. All we can give is our love and wholehearted devotion.
Our grateful love should move us not to allow any other thing or person rival His place in our lives. It should drive us to total devotion and obedience to Him with trust, serving Him wholeheartedly with all our gifts, skills, talents, resources and deepest love we can muster.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
True love for God is genuine, pure and unconditional.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Thessalonians 1-5
