APRIL 20, 2016

“I pray that you will understand the words of Jesus, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Ask yourself “How has he loved me? Do I really love others in the same way?” Unless this love is among us, we can kill ourselves with work and it will only be work, not love. Work without love is slavery.” 
― Mother Teresa

1 SAMUEL 30-31

3When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 5David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.(30:3-6)

LUKE 17:20-37

20Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”^c

JOURNAL 

David's strength does not come from his popularity or the devotion of his men. His strength comes from his trust in God. God is the only thing that sustains him in this moment. For he has just lost everything and now even the devotion of his men is in question. He is at his lowest point, but God strengthens him. 

This is the Kingdom of God. The spiritual kingdom that is not a particular place but one that happens in the mind and heart. 

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 

1 JOHN 4:7-8