Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you all this, that my own joy may
be in you, and your joy may be complete.
Reflect
All too often, our love is conditional. We love a person when she is most like us or when he
does the things we want him to do. As long as people meet our standards and expectations,
we will give them love and attention. But if someone does not measure up to our standards,
we withdraw our love and favor. Fortunately for us, that’s not the way that God loves us.
God’s love is unconditional and expansive. All are welcome to live in his love. He has given
us his commandments not to add to our burden or to catch us in errors, but to help us to
grow closer to him. God does not love us because we obey his commandments, but we
show our love for him and grow in that love by keeping the commandments. Though at times
it may be difficult to observe the commandments, they will ultimately bring us joy because
they will help us draw closer to God, the source of all our joy.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023